**The Secret Artist #8 — The Prima Vista** What if we had continued using steam as our main source of power instead of electricity, oil, or gas? This sounds like the type of question you might find at the top of a dry research paper, but in fact, this thought experiment is the foundation of entire fantasy worlds whose genre is known as “Steampunk”. If you’re not familiar with the term, don’t worry. You would probably recognise much of its aesthetic. Traces of it can be seen in books such as Philip Pullman’s trilogy “His Dark Materials”, comics such as “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” (and its film adaptation), and also in video games such as Bioshock or parts of the Final Fantasy series. In the Steampunk world, elements of the future are combined with those of the past. The first Steampunk example is often said to be Jules Verne’s “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”. First published in 1869, Verne imagined being able to travel the world in a giant Victorian-era submarine. Now, however, Steampunk is done with retrospect: looking back at the Victorian style and adapting it for the modern day. Picture: gold and brass, pistons and cogs, steampowered robots and airships. Steampunk has evolved to be its own subculture where people like to dress up in iron welding goggles, leather trench coats, victorian dresses and tophats crowned with metalwork. But why? What’s so attractive about this peculiar subgenre? Well, take a look at “The Prima Vista”. Look at the captain standing on the deck of his airship. Imagine the whirr of the propellers and the wind ruffling through his beard as he floats through the night’s sky. Is the captain an upstanding merchant on his way to trade his wares? Or is he a gentleman thief ready to perform an aerobatic burglary? Whatever you are doing tonight, wouldn’t you swap it all to spend the night flying on The Prima Vista, exploring the Captain’s Steampunk world? The Prima Vista is a unique 1/1 piece from **The Secret Artist Project** (Please note that the buyer of “The Prima Vista” will also receive a signed digital copy of the piece. Perfect if you want to use it as a desktop background, print it, or project it on a screen.) *** **The Secret Artist Project** A new art world inspired by NFTs opens up creative opportunities for artists and curators. The Secret Artist Project approaches innovative artists from inside and outside of the NFT community for a piece of work that has yet to be minted and adds it anonymously to our collection. This puts the focus on *the art* and not *the artist*. If someone likes the art, they can buy it. Simple. The Secret Artist Project has no Discord, no Telegram, no overambitious roadmap. However, there is one very special extra you receive with your NFT from The Secret Artist Project, and that is... **The Artist** While their identity remains a mystery to everyone else, the artist's details will be revealed to you after purchasing the NFT — as if you've discovered their signature scrawled on the back of their painting. So now you not only have the art to display/hang in your little corner of the Metaverse, you also have the opportunity to discover more of the artist’s work. In addition, by holding the NFT and keeping its secrets, you become part of The Secret Artist Project community. Those who hold secrets, hold power. Who knows, there may even be future incentives for such holders... **The Secret Art Project Aims** Positively impact the artist by putting their art first Introduce new artists to the NFT space (though we reserve the right to include a well-known artist too!) Feature only art we love and collaborate only with artists we trust (i.e. no nasty surprises) *** — The Merchant of Venus, Curator of The Secret Art Project If you have any questions, or if you’re an artist who would like to feature your artwork in the project, please go to The Secret Artist Project collection’s Opensea page for contact details/socials https://opensea.io/collection/the-secret-artist-project
Name
The Secret Artist #8 — The Prima Vista
Owner
0x5BAC40444cb044B3bD3D1a3c404a4bB11C3b55a8
ID#81034769…284993
Rarity
N/A