Sarah Zucker, born 1985,[2] is an American visual artist and writer based in Hollywood, Los Angeles.[3] She specializes in mixing contemporary digital techniques with older analog approaches as well as the use of VHS.[3][4][5] Zucker is considered a pioneer of crypto art, releasing digital editions of her video art as non-fungible tokens since 2019.[3][6]
Sarah Zucker | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Northwestern University (BA) New York University (MFA)[1] |
| Known for | video art, digital art, comedy writing |
| Website | http://www.sarahzucker.com |
Life and career
In the early 2010s, Zucker ran a web design firm, but soon shifted her art practice to focus on screen-based art.[3]
In 2014, Zucker established the design and animation studio YoMeryl together with the artist Bronwyn Lundberg.[7] Together, they were the first artists to present .gif images as art at the Brooklyn Museum.[8]
In June 2021, her work was sold at Sotheby’s as part of “Natively Digital”, the auction house’s first curated NFT Sale.[9][10] That same month, her work was sold at Bonhams as part of “CryptOGs: The Pioneers of NFT Art,” achieving a record price for her work at auction.[11]
Zucker's work blends humor, psychedelia, mysticism, and a signature aesthetic she describes as "time-moshing."[12][13]
In addition to her work in video, Zucker has achieved prominence as a new media artist in Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). One of her pieces, inspired by the concept of the "wood wide web" created by mushrooms and their mycelium, examines the parallels between the human nervous system, mycelial networks in nature, and the expansive digital realm of the Internet. Within this piece, she introduces her VideoPainting technique, utilizing analog feedback to portray the idea of a continuously evolving self in an infinite loop.[13][14][15][16]
Outside her art, Zucker's voice in the digital art and NFT community is influential. She acknowledges the challenges digital art has faced in gaining recognition in the mainstream art world but emphasizes its foundational role in the present, not just the future. As a dedicated advocate for digital artists, she continues to explore the blurred boundaries of life inside and outside the screen, championing the value of online culture in an increasingly interconnected world.[17][18]
Selected art shows
- "Natively Digital" at Sotheby's, 2021[19]
- "Venus of Metaverse: A Celebration of Women Creators in Crypto Art" at Tara Digital Collective, 2021[20]
- "CryptOGs": The Pioneers of NFT Art" at Bonhams, 2021[21]
- "Right Click + Save" at Le Freeport in Singapore, 2021[21]
- "DART2121" at Museo della Permanente in Milan, 2021[22]
- "The Gateway" presented by NFTNow x Christie’s at Art Basel Miami, 2021[23]
- "Block Party" at Christie’s Dubai, 2022[24]