Interview with Fine Art NFT artist and founder of Blockchain Radio, Pierre Bourque

NFT Artist Pierre Bourque is a man of diverse interests.

We know Bourque as really one of the more convivial people in blockchain media. He is the founder of Blockchain Radio, a 24x7 internet radio station with blockchain and crypto programming. Blockchain radio is a solid, respectable outlet with a steady stream of audio crypto content. It has been in operation for about 4 years and offers a lineup of 12 shows including “In Conversation With…” hosted by Pierre.

The last time we were on Bourque’s show is a memorial to how much I needed to back up from my mic and the fact that I was having terrible seasonal allergies, but Pierre handled that with aplomb as he always does.

Bourque is also a proud Bitcoin early adopter, a former board member of the Bitcoin Alliance of Canada, and he is on the Advisory Board of the Blockchain Association of Canada. He is also a former NASCAR driver.

And an accomplished artist. So, when “The Great NFTing” of March happened, hitting the internet right in the zeitgeist, and making these unexpected (to me) properties suddenly a household name even outside the crypto community, Pierre saw an opportunity to bring his love of art and his work in blockchain together.

We took a few minutes to talk with Pierre about creating fine art for distribution as NFTs, his vision, and where he sees the NFT movement going.

Pierre Bourque

When did you start doing NFTs?

“I’ve had people in the crypto space telling me I needed to get my art into NFTs since last Fall. But I procrastinated, partly because I didn’t understand the medium and I was distracted with other activities. But with each passing month I got more and more interested until one afternoon back in March of this year I decided to do my research as to what it was all about. Among other things, I consulted Professor Google and up popped a Bitcoin Magazine article about art and NFTs, and what caught my immediate attention was the primary art used in that article was one of my own crypto art pieces. That was the kick in the butt I needed to get underway.”

How does your NFT art relate to your painting?

“I see my artistic output as a variety of activities I pursue based on whatever muse motivates me. Sometimes it is oil or acrylic on canvas, though more often recently it has been digital art, whether crypto-related or not. I also do photography.”

How are you addressing NFT art on your show?

“I see this as a fantastic opportunity to deep dive into the NFT marketplace by interviewing fellow artists, art dealers, and NFT platform operators, among others. NFTs are a coming thing, we’ve barely scratched the surface on what it’s all about and I think the appetite for knowledge about what’s going on in the NFT world is massive.”

What are you bringing to the NFT art world?

“I have a primary focus on bringing 1/1 NFTs to the world with a focus on fine art and art history in the sense that I respect the road taken by others to bring the art world to where it is today as we collectively endeavor to figure out the possibilities of today and tomorrow.

I also recognize that a lot of activity in the current NFT marketplace has been around ‘big drop’ programmatic art projects, so I dropped one of my own, albeit a modest one, partly to understand the medium and partly to offer something unique at a very low price point. That project is my 3D-Glasses NFT. It started as an edition of 10,000 units, but I burned 9,750 of them, leaving just 250 units for sale. Now 60 are placed and the floor price has doubled in just the first 6 weeks.”

Are NFTs about adding self-expression to crypto?

“100%. I think NFTs are crypto, given their attachment to the blockchain, but they also reflect to artistic elements of the crypto community.”

What have you learned about NFTs from interviewing people on your show?

“What I’ve learned both from my guests and also firsthand as an NFT artist myself is that the NFT marketplace has driven a tremendous adrenalin rush into the art world. It is incredibly exciting to see the wide variety of artistic expression involved and the bridge being built between both creators and collectors. Absolutely fantastic.”

What are you most proud of with your NFTs?

“I’m most proud of the community spirit among both collectors and creators that I have been introduced to and I’m had the pleasure to be engaged with since I joined it, 4 months ago.

I am grateful for the early support I’ve received and I am very hopeful the NFT collector community will continue to expand to allow for greater commerce with fine art creators.”

What do blockchain, fine art, and Nascar racing have in common as pursuits for you?

“Pursuit of passion. I have multiple interests but they are tied together by that passion to do it, to make it happen, and to live it!”

Bourque’s Dark Art limited series NFT is available on OpenSea. The sale will include a physical, signed version of the artwork for the first owner. The buyer also gets a chance to talk with Pierre about the art. The conversation will be broadcast on Blockchain Radio and provided to the buyer as an MP3.

Bourque can be heard every day on his show on Blockchain Radio which has listeners in over 140 countries and is in early-stage discussions with investors.