The Brand & Business of DarkMarkArt

July 26, 2022

Building and maintaining a thriving art business is difficult, in the least requiring a constant stream of both new and recurring clients to maintain any level of success. The NFT space is no different. In addition, photographers are coming to the NFT space in droves making it more and more difficult to be seen by potential collectors.

With this in mind, I’m putting together a series of posts highlighting influential photography NFT creators. Each post will be dedicated to a single artist so that I can share my own DYOR, bring awareness to important photographers, and better clarify to beginners what the photography NFT market looks like right now in order to set a benchmark for future comparisons.

In this series I have written of:

Today I’m interviewing Milan-born fashion photographer and visual artist Marco Falcetta, whose brand and business is known as DarkMark. Famous for his portrait and fashion work, Marco’s portfolio includes industry icons such as Gigi and Bella Hadid, Fendi, Moschino, and Ferragamo.

Aiming to “transport people to another world”, Marco describes the photography style of his DarkMark brand as “made of black, white and shades of gray, made of mysteries, emotions, joys, fears, passions, addictions, rebellions, love, sex and rock ‘n roll.” The world of DarkMark is a place where people can experience dark moments “without being afraid of the dark.”

DarkMark recently announced a second drop on SuperRare. Scheduled for the 28th at 6pm EST, in this drop Mark intends to share a journey of his past as well as his future.

Now let’s get to some Q&A…

An Interview of Marco Falcetta on his DarkMark brand and business:

What makes a good NFT experience?

The community, human ties, and freedom of expression without compromise make for the best NFT experience. I also believe it’s very important for creators and collectors to have a strong relationship in order to build trust.

Why do you think NFTs + photography work well together, as a product?

Photography today is a digital product, so lends itself well to NFTs. I’ve worked in the fashion world for over 15 years, and the transition for me to NFT creator has been a natural process. I no longer have to sell a dress - I can express myself and my vision through my art. For me, NFTs have opened the door to a new dimension.

How do you differentiate your brand?

My brand is DarkMark. In “real life” I had some success with photography, but I didn't want to bring that history into this web3 space. Instead, I wanted to bring my past experiences and my simple vision together to create my own unique, recognizable brand. Through DarkMark I can be myself and share my point of view with others.

Hard work, consistency, passion and soul, years of experience in the world of photography as well dedication to daily interaction with other artists and collectors are some of the ways in which I differentiate the DarkMark brand. Having your own style, your own coherent vision, being genuine and recognizable, have been fundamental to my success.

New artists will arrive with their works every year, and as always there will be those who are talented and those who are not. Photography is a super inflated medium and taking a good photo isn’t enough today. You must have attitude, eye, passion, background and be willing to commit hours of work.

How do you determine what kind of collection to offer? Deciding on Editions vs. Standalones vs. Collections?

There are no written rules. I refer to the last sale and I try to grow by creating added value to my work and to those who collect my photography. Right now I'm focusing on 1/1’s. For me it is important to consider photography as a work of art in all respects, focusing on every shot and starting from an idea to create a single powerful and exciting photo.

How much do you typically make per NFT sale? Is your business sustainable from NFT sales alone?

100% of my sales come from NFT sales. In the last 45 days I have sold 9 pieces, the last two at 1.25 eth and 2 eth. Now I only shoot for jobs that really interest me. My priorities are NFTs, the community, my brand and focusing on the future of web3.

What are some key actions you took to establish your photography career?

My photography career just plain happened. I never saw photography as an activity to make money - what I've always wanted to do is create. I have a degree in fine art painting and art history, and photography was born as a result.

What’s the best marketplace for photography NFT creators? 

SuperRare and Foundation are the platforms where I see investors the most active. However, these platforms lack elements to best seek out photographic artists - things I'm sure will improve. Definitely a positive alternative is to mint on your own contract!

S.W.O.T ANALYSIS of your business! Strengths? Weaknesses? Opportunities? Threats?

  • Strength: passion & desire for rebirth
  • Weakness: Sometimes I'm too emotional
  • Opportunity: Opportunities are in my potential
  • Threats: Let's say it's not a good time right now anywhere in the world.

In closing…

I’d like to close with all the important DYOR links I could find on @darkmarknft as well as some of my favorite shots from his work on Foundation.

DYOR Links: