🔥 Legacy Media is Dead: Rise of the Podcast Era! Dive into this electrifying episode of the Digital Social Hour with Sean Kelly and renowned artist Daniel Allen Cohen. Don't miss out as Daniel shares his journey from creating thought-provoking art piec
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A
School is to sell a piece and break six figures.
B
Nice.
A
Getting close, but it takes time. I'm not in a rush journey.
B
I love that mindset. A lot of people try to rush that.
A
You can't. It's. You got to be patient.
B
Yeah.
A
I mean, it comes. Things that rise fast just can fall as fast. I mean, you look at certain things in crypto and stocks, that's like the biggest red flag is if you have a hockey stick, you shouldn't be.
B
Slow and steady wins the race.
A
Exactly.
B
All right, guys, got Daniel Alan Cohen here. He has made this beautiful piece for me right here. It's my favorite art piece I own, man. Thank you so much, and thanks for coming on.
A
Thank you, man. It came out great. I'm very happy with it. And today, more than ever, people are addicted to consuming content and podcasts, and you are just non stop crushing it. So it couldn't be in a better spot.
B
Yeah, yeah. Podcasts seem like the new, really mass mainstream media consumption right now.
A
Legacy media is dead.
B
Yeah.
A
You are doing the right thing at the forefront, and I'm having to do the same thing, create my own content, tell my story. That's what people are attracted to today more than ever.
B
Right. Because before you were probably behind the scenes a little more kind of doing pieces for, like, celebrities, but now you're. You're taking a step back.
A
I looked at it that same way. I didn't see Phil Knight on the face of Nike. I didn't. The CEO or the owner isn't at the forefront of their brands. Their content and their storytelling is. So I liked that. But now people want to actually know who I am, want to know more about me. They want to. We have these opportunities to build these parasocial relationships with the people, whether it's on a reality TV show or through the lens of social media, where you can get to know someone.
B
Yeah.
A
Dan Fleischman, obviously is like the hugest preacher of this and made an impact on me to actually take the leaf, built the confidence and. And start sharing my own content, my story, through social media. And it's. It's a little bit different. Like, I am not my artwork. I am not. This is addictive. It's not like an alias. So it's. There's a little bit of a change, but I'm glad that I'm doing it.
B
Yeah. So you've tied the two together then, rather than keep it separate, I have.
A
My personal Instagram, which is about me, but I think a lot of artists kind of have a little Bit more where they want to share their story there behind the scenes. It's not very much integrated, but I have tried to bring that two together. For sure. There is a bridging of the gap that's happening there.
B
Nice. And where did the periodic table, our idea, come from?
A
It started actually in 2000, probably 15. What preceded this was the nutritional fact label.
B
Oh.
A
And I started stripped that and did Narcotic Facts. And that was extremely successful because it was something that was familiar that people had seen before, but it was the subtle twist. And no one really reads that. You know, no one's caring about what they're consuming in their body. I mean, more people today now are. There's a little bit more conscious awareness of ingredients. People are actually reading that label. But before, not as much.
B
Hell no.
A
Yeah. So for. So that was what started things. And that just was extremely successful. 2015 started selling pieces for 250, 500, 750, a thousand. Started getting gallery representation. And it kept growing and building. And then after that, kind of sold out. And that was how to success with that. It was like, what's next? So I did the periodic table of elements, but the periodic table of drugs and Those debuted in 2017 for first nine pieces at Scope, which is an art fair during Art Basel during Art Week in Miami. And just crushed it. Grand Slam.
B
Wow.
A
Out of the park.
B
They auctioned it. Or how does that work?
A
So at a fair like that, they're available. It was an addition of three. There was three collector sets. Stole out of all three of the collector sets.
B
Wow.
A
Opening week. And then. And then just. I had them also a la carte. So individually, if someone just wanted one or two or three, they could buy them by themselves. I didn't want to force people to buy all nine. And then there's some collectors that bought nine. And I released more and they bought more. They released more and they bought more. So they kind of got addicted to the art collecting process as well. So it's. I mean, that people are addicted to everything today. Whether it's surfing or tennis or paddle or things like sugar there. It's. So there is some elements to the. The truth of, like, what we're actually consuming. Um, and that connects to the work.
B
Yeah. I've never been able to identify why certain artists pop off. But being in the space, are you able to catch these guys early and. And see their trajectory in advance?
A
I mean, there's things that flop. I mean, I have. I have great. Some great concepts that I'm working on that are tied into AI. But it might just to be too early with certain elements the same thing. Like I might just have created something before people actually fully understand it. And which is fine. Like, things take time. I'm patient.
B
Right. Some artists don't pop off till they're dead.
A
Exactly.
B
Which is crazy.
A
Yeah. I'm sure there's. Some of my collectors want me dead so the value goes up.
B
Yeah, I noticed. That's the thing, right? It like triples overnight when you die.
A
Yeah, for sure. There's. I'm not going anywhere though. I got a long legacy to live. I'm just getting warmed up.
B
Yeah. Do you collect other artists stuff?
A
I do. I think that it's actually a duty and diligence that artists.
B
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A
Have to collect art. Almost should be a prerequisite.
B
Wow.
A
Because if you expect people to buy your art and invest in you, you got to show the reciprocity and you got to collect from other people as well. It's like, why not? If you have the expectation that you're only expected to receive. You have a short sighted mindset. You got to give, you got, you got to either trade artwork with your other artists. I mean that's majority of the artwork that's up in my house is artwork that I traded with.
B
Oh, that's cool. Yeah, that's actually smart.
A
Bartering is the newest currency to same. I love bartering too. Whether it's places to stay, things to do, experiences, it's, it's the best form today.
B
I've saved so much money bartering for hotels and cruises and travel. Oh my gosh. And restaurants.
A
Yeah.
B
Like literally might be six figures at this point.
A
Yeah, it's, it's great. And people today especially depending on how much social clout you have that can add so much value in the bartering process too is trading for a post or trading for a travel plan. So it's, it's awesome.
B
It's cool to see you acknowledge that. Cuz some artists are so like protective of their work and they're not willing to barter because they just want money or whatever.
A
You got to give. It's giving is so infectious. I, I genuinely enjoy giving. I, I was going to make this piece with zero expectation and the, the value of when an artist can do and, and be selfless and just give without having any expectation in return is great. Things can come. Might take some time but like someone's going to see this piece in a year, a month, two years from now and there's going to be maybe a follow and a conversion. It's going to lead to something somewhere right. To believe that it is. But if you don't take that shot to actually make that investment into building that relationship with someone by using your artwork for, for the means of giving people joy or happiness or sharing your work for other people enjoy. You're not going to eventually grow and growing is everything. You got to go grow. You got to go right.
B
And art seems to like the good art at least seems to appreciate a pretty substantial rate from what I've studied.
A
Yeah, the, the art traditional fine art world, the blue chip art world has pretty much outgrown every asset class that that's out there. It's beaten the stock market, it's beaten.
B
Even crypto I think.
A
So I mean that's one thing it could, might, might not. But there's, there's so much volatility in crypto. There's. With art, you know, you have a lot of manipulation. It's one of the last industries that's really kind of not really regulated. You have some regulation with kind of like having to know who your buyers are.
B
And what do you mean by that?
A
So there's. There's something that with. Is within the art world and it's. So there's aml, which is like the anti money, anti money laundering, and then there's the kyc.
B
Kyc, which is crypto customers.
A
Yeah, kyc. Know your customers. So auction houses, dealers now in certain countries have to know who their customers are so that they.
B
It's not like a mafia or something.
A
Exactly. Yeah.
B
There's trying to money launder.
A
I mean, notoriously, art has been a means for money laundering, which is. Is great. Diamonds too. I mean, diamonds have funded plenty of wars over history.
B
Right.
A
And. And art, I wouldn't say has done the same thing, but there's been crazy situations in art. Like the. Do you know the piece by da Vinci, Salvador Mundi, you've recognized?
B
Yeah, I recognize it.
A
So in 2005, this piece was bought at an estate auction for $10,000.
B
That's it?
A
Yeah, it's.
B
Why was it so low?
A
It. They. They couldn't verify that it was real at the time, so they. So they couldn't verify that it was real at the time, so they went through a few years of restoration. In 2013, the piece sold by a Swiss dealer for 75 million. After it was like, holy crap. He flipped it the same year to a Russian billionaire for 127 million. In 2017, it sold at Christie's for 450 million.
B
Damn.
A
Half a bill.
B
That's nuts.
A
Yeah. 10 grand to have a bill.
B
My friend has the biggest Bosquia collection in the world.
A
Wow.
B
Similar story. This girl was selling it for thousands because she couldn't verify. And she had like hundred of them.
A
Yeah.
B
Did she charge like a couple thousand each? The company that was verifying his work no longer existed, so he had to go to the FBI, get forensic analysis on every single piece. They were all Bosquia pieces.
A
Yeah.
B
So it's the biggest collection in the world.
A
There's a lot of diligence. Providence that has to go into the secondary market world because historically there's been so much fraud and so it's hard to like, legitimately verify, especially after some of these people have passed away. Like who.
B
Who.
A
Who are these custodians and. And duties? A part of the estate that are going to verify things when there's just. I mean, you look at some of the things that are coming out of China, just perfect replicas. It's hard to legitimately justify what's real and not real today. Especially in the art world.
B
Those Chinese man. And they know how to duplicate everything.
A
I mean, not. I mean, there. There's other countries. Turkey too is really good. I mean, Turkey's legendary with the. The luxury.
B
Really.
A
I went into a spot in Turkey and you walk into what looks like a silk shop. M. And then you go behind the scenes and that's where all the Birkin are. And it's. These Birkins are.
B
It's one to one.
A
I know people that have bought Birkins and then they flipped them on the real real. The real real couldn't even verify that they were fake.
B
Holy. That good rap.
A
Yeah, there. So, yeah, Turkey's on another level too, with their replicas.
B
I've seen Rolexes one to one these days. Like even the weight, because that used to be the easy tell. The weight or the movement. But no, they're so good these days.
A
Yeah, a lot of it's. It's wild. I know you see guys flexing watches.
B
And you're like, yeah, you always question it. I mean, there's certain guys that have one real and one fake and they wear the fake one out. Which makes sense if it's a $500,000 watch. If you get robbed. Here you go.
A
Yeah, exactly. In places like Los Angeles, San Francisco. Absolutely. Like, that's the smartest thing that you could possibly do.
B
Yeah. I would never wear a watch in one of those cities. Where do you live at?
A
I moved to Miami nine months ago.
B
From la.
A
Go from la. Yeah. It was time to go. LA is, you know, my home. Born and raised Southern California. Loved it there. But there's so much growth happening in Miami.
B
It's.
A
It's one of the best places to be. I kind of describe it as like the first day of school. There's so many people that have come after the pandemic that everyone's so welcoming and inviting. That's so unique. It's kind of like what LA had, you know, in 2010 there was.
B
Especially for art.
A
For art. Right now there's not a lot of growth for art in Los Angeles. In Miami, you have tons of empty walls. So people are wanting to buy art in Miami. And my art really resonates with the Miami culture. It's about luxury and consumerism. People want flashy stuff that's going to get attention 100%. You know, people see it on the wall, it's going to spark a conversation. That's. Some people want decoration, other people want things that are going to have that impact?
B
Yeah. Have you ever done an AR Basel activation?
A
I have, yeah. So in the most immersive art Basel activation that I did was in 2019. I created an immersive chemistry classroom. It was after Albert Hoffman, the guy who synthesized lsd. It was the Albert Hoffman University. So there was two desks, school desks with notepads, backpacks. There was a professor's desk. It was the debut of the periodic table of drugs. So there was chemistry equipment, lab coats, whiteboard. It was a very fun experience. But I've been showing out there since 2016. Started at Scope, which is one of the very cool emerging art fairs. That's on the beach, on South Beach. Had two great first years. There was the gallery's best selling artists out of, you know, probably like five to six artists.
B
Yeah.
A
Which is good, you know, like for my first years and then was very lucky to make my way into two other art fairs called Context and Art Miami, which are some of the leaders ones. They're, you know, in the commercial space, they're at the top. There's, you know, Art Basel as an art fair is, is in its own league. It's, it's blue chip, it's secondary market. It's artists that are really thriving, but it's, it's institutional art where Art Miami is. Artists that are creating very cool contemporary art that has a commercial appeal. That's that people are interested. It's relevant art. Yeah. So I've been showing there for, for since then and just always growing, doing new things. This year have a cool concept. We'll see if it comes together though.
B
Nice. I've seen some crazy shows out there. Yeah, people spend a lot of money on their shows, man.
A
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And people spend a lot of money on art out there. It's really like the last hurrah for people at the end of the year. You know, they, before New Year's, before the holidays, they go out there with a bang. And yeah, some people have those champagne problems where they need to burn a little bit of money and they want tax write. Exactly. It's a tax. That's one of the best things about buying art is some. There's some amazing companies out there, Microsoft, ubs, that have these massive art collections. They started buying and their collection started appreciating. But you know, a little bit of a tax write off because they're putting up in their offices, it's creating decor, but at the same time it's a tax write off for them.
B
That's brilliant because it's an asset too. They could probably take a loan out against it if they ever needed to.
A
Yeah. Depending on the. The right artwork, they absolutely can borrow against it.
B
No, my. My friend who has the basket collection has done that with his pieces and he'll get like pretty good deal on it too.
A
Yeah. And there's obviously other ways like fractional ownership too, which I'm not the biggest fan of, like Masterworks that. It's an interesting model.
B
They sponsor a lot of shows.
A
They. I'm not. It's a lot of fees, a lot of commissions.
B
Yeah. That's how they make their money though, right?
A
Yeah. It is a business at the end of the day. But I just don't like the idea of owning something that I can't look at every day and enjoy and see.
B
Yeah. I'm going to own a piece. I want it in my living room.
A
Yeah. And most of the artists that are on there are dead. And I think that it's a duty for people if they're going to buy art, to buy art from emerging artists and support up and comers, be patrons. Like back in the day the, the royal families were the patrons of some of the artists and that back then it was. That was all the car culture is art. So it's good to support art makes you feel good.
B
Right.
A
Gives you good feelings and you know that's. You get to surround yourself with. With what makes you. What you enjoy.
B
Yeah, absolutely. What's the most you've seen an art piece sell for?
A
Like mine.
B
Yours? Yeah. But also just in general.
A
Well, that, that piece that we talked about before, the Salvador Mundi is actually holds the record.
B
Oh yeah.
A
And then. But then you have other artists like Jeff Koons who I think has the most. He has the most auction. He has like the highest auction record. Consistency. I think Damien Hurst might be one of the wealthiest artists. So there's a lot of artists that alive today that have had a lot of success. For me, my next goal is to sell a piece and break six figures.
B
Nice.
A
Getting close, but it. It takes time. I'm not in a rush journey.
B
I love that mindset. A lot of people try to rush that.
A
You can't. It's. You got to be patient. I mean it comes. Things that rise fast just can fall as fast. I mean you look at certain things in crypto and stocks, that's like the biggest red flag is if you have a hockey stick, you shouldn't be.
B
Slow and steady wins the race.
A
Exactly.
B
What do you think of digital art?
A
I'm all about it. I mean, I was early into the NFT space and in 2019 with Nifty Gateway, did, did a release with them and no one was even paying attention when I was doing posts that was on there, no one was. So I just did it because I was an early adopter into crypto and I wanted my art in the blockchain.
B
Yeah.
A
And, and then now with AI, I'm using AI to, to create very cool artwork. So some, I'll show you some stuff after working on. It's very, very exciting.
B
Dude, AI, I got a crazy story, but finish that.
A
Yeah, it's, it's just in general, it's, there's people who are resistant to it and I think that that is when you see the, the resistance that people have to newness. Like that I lean into it.
B
Yeah.
A
Like I, I, I know that that's the sign of, there's something here, but if an artist is starting out and is just doing all their art in AI, it's a little different. If you're already an established artist or you've kind of made a name for yourself and using it as a tool, I think that's a little different. But the context is everything. It's, you can't just use it without having some connection.
B
Right. So use it for inspiration, not to copy paste.
A
Yeah, to a certain extent. There's, there's so much that you can use it to discover things. Like you said, get inspired by something you would never see before.
B
Right.
A
That's what I love about it. The things that it spits out is nuts.
B
I've seen some really cool tattoos lately from AI actually.
A
Wow. I didn't even think about that.
B
Yeah, no, these tattoo artists are just, people are literally coming up with AI photos and then bringing it to the artist and like paint this on me.
A
Yeah, it's nuts. And now the, these little videos that are coming to the software that's able to generate like 5 second little short videos out of it is insane.
B
Oh, with the clips? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Those are definitely gonna save a lot of people time and money.
A
Yeah.
B
But dude, so I go to this biological dentist yesterday, right?
A
Biological dentist?
B
Yeah, it's like a preventative dentist because most dentists that we've gone to are western and yeah. Who knows what they do but.
A
Fluoride.
B
Yeah, fluoride. First hour, they're taking photos of my mouth. I'm like, what the hell, dude? This is crazy. All of a sudden they put a computer screen in front of me, all my photos are there. They put it in an AI and it determines how many cavities I have.
A
What?
B
Yes, nine cavities. So I'm like.
A
That you currently have.
B
Yeah. Because they're able to detect them super early because of the AI. If a doctor were to manually look at it, they might have not even spotted it. So nine cavities. Not only that, it looks at your gum. I had two bacterial infections which no one would have ever known that and they told me I needed my wisdom teeth out because of the AI. So that's where the future of AI is going.
A
Don't take out the wisdom.
B
You don't think so?
A
No. That's like though there's people who believe that the wisdom teeth is something symbolism. Why is it called a wisdom tooth? It's like there's. There's like a connection that people believe that the people who have them have like superpowers.
B
O. Well agreed. But mine's actually like causing the bacterial infection.
A
Cuz there's a gap.
B
So I kind of need to.
A
That's not fun. Dentist. I was at the dentist yesterday and it's luckily just for like a routine checkup and cleaning in Los Angeles but it's not a good place to be.
B
I'll never go to western one again. So when they fill in cavities it there's forever plastics in them. So I go to a holistic one now that fills them in naturally.
A
Amazing.
B
Yeah. There's a lot of stuff you got to look out for in the medical space.
A
Yeah. But the technology of AI is like. It's. It's crazy. Especially I mean have you talked to anyone lately about the new iPhone Update with open AI integrating with iPhone integrated now. Yep. They just announced and Siri is now going to be know so much about you.
B
Whoa.
A
It's using. So once you update, if you have the 15 and you update it's different than if you have like a 14 or 13 or prior. But it knows all of your text messages, all of your photos, all of your browser history. So it can. All of your scheduling. So it is a next level assistant. And the fact that it can is. Is now going to integrate with OpenAI. Dude is going to take things.
B
I've seen people, they don't even answer their emails anymore. AI does it.
A
I saw that post there on the account that people are getting dummy phones for that same reason. Because they don't want. They don't want social media, they don't want technology. They want to simplify things. They want a simpler life.
B
Crazy.
A
Yeah. Social media detoxes people Are doing that more than ever is just like cutting out social media and technology for days, weeks, months, because they need a break.
B
There's a lot of industries they'll impact. I think for someone like you, you'll be pretty good though.
A
Yeah.
B
Because you have so much just hands on talent that it'd be almost impossible to.
A
Yeah. Creatives, I think will continue to thrive. Creative artists. There's only so much that I can actually take away from us. We're always going to need culture, always going to need creativity. Right now it's struggling. There's certain things that I can't do, but I'm using it as much as I can to my advantage.
B
Dude. I'm using it to like find podcast guests in new cities. I'll be like, yeah, I'm going to Miami. Give me a list of 50 interesting guests that live here. And that's how I plan my guests out. It's crazy.
A
Wow.
B
I'll let it say give me the most 50, most viral guests here or go on YouTube, see who gets the most views. Give me a list of 50 people.
A
Has anyone done a podcast with AI?
B
Probably, yeah. But I don't know if it's advanced enough yet.
A
Be an interesting conversation. I did see a video of the, the two people that were having the AIs talk to each other and they didn't know they were talking to each other.
B
Interesting.
A
Yeah. It was a fascinating video where they couldn't. They, they were just discussing random things about each other. The four zero, the newest version is, is on another level.
B
Yeah.
A
Especially with language and translating language. It's going to make things so easy. When you go to foreign countries and you just give someone another earbud and you could just have a full on conversation with them because it's just constantly translating the conversation for you.
B
I can't wait for that. Because now we could go to whatever country we want and you know, do business.
A
Yeah.
B
Because right now language barrier.
A
Yeah.
B
So we're segmented.
A
Language barrier is one thing, but intercultural business is a whole nother thing. You know, there's. I think that's one thing that people don't actually fully understand is you go to a different country, they do business a whole lot different here than they do in China. In China, it's all about getting to know people. You don't talk about business until the last part.
B
Really?
A
Yeah. Oh, they want to build trust. They want to get to know you. They intercultural business. The class that I took was fascinating because you, you understand, it's like here in the US it's like just straight to it. It's like, it's, it's. It's like dating. It's like. But not. You just skip the date and you just go straight to the bedroom. In business here, where they're, they're like, let's slow down. Let's get to know each other, let's date a little bit, and then we'll talk about business in the end, once we can establish that they can trust each other. And that's so special when. And I think more people are kind of starting to pick up on that today than ever is. Is, you know, using their intuition to kind of see if the people that they're wanting to do business with actually has, like, good intentions or what they are and just not cutting straight to the chase.
B
I wonder if I can predict the next art trends. That'd be interesting, right?
A
I think. I don't know if it could. Art is so subjective. But I do think that maybe, you know, there's, There is. Obviously it's going to continue to get smarter and aggregate more and more data and information. I think as a big data machine, it will be able to analyze, like, sites like Artsy and Artnet and see. Track sales and history and see who's doing well. What are the search results, what are the cues. Google this, that and. And be able to figure out who could be the next artist that can rise up.
B
Yeah.
A
So I think we're probably just a few years away from that.
B
Crazy. There's a lot of really smart people that think AI might take over the world.
A
I mean, Elon Musk definitely does.
B
He tweets it a lot, right?
A
He's concerned.
B
Yeah. He was pissed with Apple integrating with open AI, right?
A
Yeah. He said that he's going to not allow employees to have iPhones that work at Tesla, Space X. All these companies like.
B
And I love my iPhone.
A
You don't work.
B
I'm on it eight hours a day. I looked at my screen time. I'm like, holy crap. But I'm working on it. So it's different than most people. Eight hours a day.
A
Yeah.
B
It's just consumption.
A
Well, for you, it's a little different. You're. You're. You're not consuming, you're creating. You're. It's a part of your business.
B
I'm networking. Creating. Yeah. Fostering relationships.
A
Yeah.
B
I'm never consuming, actually. Or if I am, it's to seek out a interesting guest or something.
A
Yeah. So that the. I think the context in that situation is everything. If you were just sitting there scrolling and swiping and just wasting time. Absolutely.
B
I'd be depressed because I used to do that when I was in college.
A
Yeah.
B
And I was depressed.
A
I mean, a lot of people, they. They try to understand the work. And I describe it as, when, when you wake up in the morning, what's the first thing that you think about? It's your phone, social media facts. It's not, I need water, I need oxygen, I need to get some sunlight, I need the elements. It's. These are the things that we're addicted to. These are the elements of today. It's coffee, it's sex, it's money, it's hustle. These are things that are driving us, the elements. And you create these reactions of all these things together and that becomes who we are.
B
Absolutely. Talk to me about Freeport.
A
Freeports. Well, freeports are like the greatest museums that no one can visit. They are these little tax havens, almost like purgatory for art, where, like, for example, there's a Freeport. Most famous one is probably in Geneva. It has over 1.2 million art pieces that are just currently being stored there.
B
Wow.
A
And if there's an art piece there and I buy it and I sell it to you, I won't get taxed. You won't get taxed as long as it stays there. And if you sell it to the next person, it won't get taxed.
B
Interesting.
A
So it's a little loophole in the art world where people can find ways. Avoid sales tax, avoid income tax, avoid capital gains tax. And the, the benefit isn't just art. It's wine, it's gold, it's diamonds, it's anything valuable reports can hold. It's kind of like this in between. So. But once it goes from the Freeport to your house, that's where that person is going to have to claim and make some money.
B
So then you have to claim income tax. But if you're just doing it as an investment, it makes sense.
A
Yeah. There's Singapore, Delaware, Luxembourg are some famous ones. But I mean, you can only imagine the type of work that's in there. It's. Some of the best work is just hidden in greats.
B
Interesting. How does the art differ from country to country?
A
Culturally, there's. There's obviously a lot different in some of, like the main, you know, market countries. You know, your London's, your, your Italy's. Over in Europe, historically, there's such a great rich history of, of iconic fine art and Renaissance art there. I think not Enough people actually do a good diligence on, on studying art history, especially in like the fine art space here we're focused on like a little more new art. We do have an appreciation of it, but it's contemporary is what's cool right now. There's, you know, people go into museums, like the Metropolitan Museum in New York and it's, it's a lot of old art. They have no idea who the people are on the wall. So I actually thought of this idea and I'm trying to come up with a contemporary art museum that I'm using to create these contemporary pieces that are a twist. So it's juxtaposing the present and the past. But country to country, it, it all varies. And house to house, it's all subjective. I mean someone that go one place might just want art that's purely decoration. Another someone other person might want to have artwork that's very provocative. So it's, it's all case by case, country by country.
B
Absolutely. I saw here Disney gave Robin Williams a multi million dollar Picasso painting.
A
The story of that's quite fascinating because Robin Williams, he was at the top of his acting career when Disney approached him to do the voice of the genie for Aladdin. And at the time they were just getting started in like their, their animation for, for cartoon movies. And they were not making any money off of, you know, merchandising through games and toys or theme park stuff. So they go to him and they, they had obviously other options and they offered him $75,000 which was a huge haircut from what he would normally get paid. He agreed with the, under his agreement that they would not, I think it was, there were some restrictions around merchandising and, and toys and all this stuff. Long story short, the movie crushed it. It was their biggest box office. They expanded to the theme park stuff. Toys took off. Aladdin was the biggest movie in the 90s and really put them in a whole trajectory for, for like Disney and theme parks. It was, it was the biggest growth period for them after that movie because he kind of got a little frustrated and made a lot of noise and ruffled some feathers because rightfully he, his agreement was not the best. And so they sent him a one million dollar original Picasso painting as a gesture to say thank you for which is a, it's a nice gift.
B
Thanks for making us 500 million. Yeah, here's a million.
A
Exactly. Here's a little million. And who knows what that piece is worth now, Especially with that story. It's a cool, cool Piece.
B
Yeah. I wonder if he kept it.
A
His family probably has it. Rip.
B
Yeah. That's a sad story.
A
Yeah, I know.
B
Especially knowing that one movie where. What was that movie where kids were killing themselves and he was like the teacher.
A
Oh, yeah.
B
Yeah. Just after seeing that and then it actually happened. Crazy, right?
A
Yeah. Not a lot of people know. He, he had a love for coke.
B
He really.
A
Yeah.
B
I would have never expected that he.
A
Had his issues with substance abuse.
B
Wow.
A
Yeah. And. Yeah, and people don't know that. Exactly. People have their demons. You look at him and you think, this guy is funny, he's happy, he's successful, he's a great artist and you know, literally leading as an artist in, in the acting space in Hollywood at the time. But he had his skeletons in his closet and one of them was, was coke, dude.
B
You and I know a lot of public figures and oftentimes they have a lot of mental issues or demons or whatever.
A
I think that's what people need to actually be more open and communicate. You know, the, the conversation about mental health and awareness through addiction, through therapy. And there's so many options today where people can get help and seek help. It's a serious thing. The, the Instagram versus reality, the. The perspective of, of how people view things is, Is shockingly different. And people need to invest more into their mental health and do the smallest things. I mean, I, I had the pleasure of, of meeting Gary Brecker, who I know is one of your guests, and he's. He's fucking brilliant at Damon's mastermind. What are a couple things that these entrepreneurs can do that are free, that, that can help them with the stress that comes with being an entrepreneur. And he, I mean, you could obviously rewatch this episode. He preaches it all the time or any of his content, which is get sunlight, do breath work, get into a cold shower or cold plunge, ground yourself, touch the earth, get good sleep, which is. Is like. Seems like it's common sense, but no one actually takes the time to build some of these habits into their life, which is. But going back to the elements of the periodic table, oxygen, water, you know, the earth, the electrical charge of the earth, that are all these things that can actually help us and give us a little bit of a balance in our day to day, which is so needed.
B
Absolutely. Daniel, any. Anything you want to close off with?
A
No. Had a great time. Enjoy the art. Anyone that is interested in wanting to learn more about me? I'm just on Instagram. This is addictive. Danielle Cohen.com Daniel I'm going on Instagram.
B
Perfect link below. Thanks for coming on, man.
A
Absolutely. Thank you.
B
Thanks for watching, guys. Hope you enjoyed that one. I will see you tomorrow.
Digital Social Hour: Legacy Media is Dead - Rise of the Podcast Era | Episode #736
Release Date: September 19, 2024
Host: Sean Kelly
Guest: Daniel Allen Cohen
In episode #736 of Digital Social Hour, host Sean Kelly delves into the transformative shifts in media and the art world with renowned artist and entrepreneur, Daniel Allen Cohen. Titled "Legacy Media is Dead: Rise of the Podcast Era," this conversation explores the decline of traditional media, the ascendancy of podcasts, the evolving art market, and the integration of technology in creative processes.
Sean Kelly opens the discussion by asserting, "Legacy media is dead" (00:53). Daniel Allen Cohen concurs, highlighting the surge in podcast consumption:
Daniel Allen Cohen: "Podcasts seem like the new, really mass mainstream media consumption right now." (00:48)
Cohen emphasizes the importance of personal storytelling in the modern media landscape, moving away from traditional, impersonal content delivery. He notes that today’s audience craves authentic connections and narratives, which podcasts effectively provide.
The conversation shifts to Cohen’s journey in the art world and his strategic use of social media to build his brand. He shares, "I have tried to bring my personal Instagram, which is about me, together with my artwork to bridge the gap between the two." (01:58)
Cohen discusses the significance of parasocial relationships, where audiences form one-sided connections with creators through platforms like social media and podcasts. This approach not only humanizes artists but also fosters a loyal fanbase eager to engage with and support their work.
Cohen provides an insightful overview of his artistic journey, starting with the creation of "Narcotic Facts" in 2015, a twist on the traditional nutritional labels. He explains how this concept resonated with audiences, leading to substantial sales and gallery representation.
Cohen: "The periodic table of drugs debuted in 2017 at Scope during Art Basel in Miami and just crushed it." (02:45)
He elaborates on the addictive nature of art collecting, likening it to other addictions, and discusses the strategies that drive sustained interest and investment in his work.
A significant portion of the discussion centers around artificial intelligence (AI) and its role in modern art. Cohen shares his early adoption of NFTs with Nifty Gateway in 2019 and his current explorations with AI-generated art:
Cohen: "I'm using AI to create very cool artwork. It's very, very exciting." (17:39)
He addresses the skepticism surrounding AI in creative fields, advocating for its use as a tool for inspiration rather than a replacement for human creativity. Cohen underscores the potential of AI to uncover novel ideas and enhance the artistic process.
Cohen delves into the complexities of the global art market, particularly the role of freeports—tax havens for art storage:
Cohen: "Freeports are like the greatest museums that no one can visit. They store over 1.2 million art pieces in Geneva alone." (26:48)
He explains how freeports facilitate art investment by allowing transactions without immediate taxation, thereby attracting high-value investments. However, he also touches on the challenges of authenticity and the prevalence of high-quality replicas, especially from regions like China and Turkey.
Exploring the cultural dimensions of art, Cohen compares art consumption and appreciation across different countries. He highlights the rich Renaissance heritage in Europe versus the contemporary, commercially-driven art scene in places like Miami:
Cohen: "In Miami, my art resonates with the culture—luxury and consumerism. People want flashy pieces that spark conversations." (28:07)
Cohen underscores the subjective nature of art appreciation, emphasizing that personal and cultural contexts significantly influence what is valued and collected.
Looking ahead, Cohen speculates on the future integration of AI in both art and daily life. He envisions AI’s capability to predict art trends by analyzing vast amounts of data from platforms like Artsy and Artnet:
Cohen: "AI will be able to track sales, history, and social cues to predict which artists could rise next." (25:11)
He also discusses advancements such as AI-powered translation tools that could dismantle language barriers, fostering more seamless international collaborations and business opportunities.
Towards the end of the episode, Cohen and Kelly touch on the importance of mental health, especially for entrepreneurs. Drawing from his interactions with other successful individuals, Cohen advocates for integrating simple yet effective habits to manage stress:
Cohen: "Get sunlight, do breath work, take cold showers, ground yourself, get good sleep. These are foundational elements for balance." (33:09)
He connects these practices to the elemental themes present in his art, reinforcing the interconnection between personal well-being and creative expression.
In this insightful episode, Daniel Allen Cohen provides a comprehensive look into the intersections of art, technology, and media. His experiences underscore the necessity of adapting to evolving landscapes, whether through embracing new mediums like podcasts and AI or navigating the intricate global art market. Cohen’s reflections offer valuable lessons for artists and entrepreneurs alike, emphasizing patience, authenticity, and the importance of building meaningful connections in today’s digital age.
Cohen: "You can't rush success. Things that rise fast can fall just as quickly. Slow and steady wins the race." (17:16)
For those interested in exploring Cohen’s art and ongoing projects, you can follow him on Instagram or visit his official website at danieallencohen.com.
Digital Social Hour with Sean Kelly offers listeners a profound exploration of how legacy media is giving way to new forms of content creation and consumption. Through Daniel Allen Cohen's experiences, the episode highlights the resilience and adaptability required to thrive in an ever-changing digital landscape. Whether you're an artist, entrepreneur, or simply passionate about the evolution of media, this episode provides valuable insights and inspiration.