The Story Behind an NFT "Lux Aeterna" by Görkem Keser

This is "Lux Aeterna," a photo i collected on the largest tezos platform Objkt on 1st May 2022.

You'll lost yourself when you first see it. The swirling lines on the bottom sparkling here and there; a body that is so relaxing as if she is floating within her own mind; astral dots spreading everywhere like nebulous clusters in the universe; the soft waterweed swaying on the top like a magical reverse grassland on the sky; everything makes me feels like i'm in a dream, alone with this lady who has a pair of glowing wings.

I bought it at the secondary market price for 5t. It has 15 editions, 1500 x 844 px, resolution 96 ppi. When i saw this image at first glance, an impulse of buying appears immediately, but there are not much xtz in my wallet, so i decided to calm down and checked for more info:

On the record it shows that the first hand price is 0.6t, and was sold out within one hour; there were two listings at that time, one for 5t and another for 15t. I was shocked by how low the first hand price is for such a amazing photo, and the another 15t listing made that 5t looks so cheap, so i couldn't control my fingers and bought it, feeling nice about collecting an breathtaking art piece in a price that i can afford as a newbie in the world of NFTs.

I went to Görkem's twitter again after becoming an owner of it, and i read the original thread more closely ( https://twitter.com/gorkemksr/status/1520474967942569985). There was something I didn't see in the intro of work on the platform: "Please read the description of the work below."

I read it.

My eyes were wet.

"This is an artwork that needs to be seen by more people." I thought.

(*Anybody who is already impatient could just stop reading here and check the original thread above.*)

******

I decided to promote it as hard as i could; by writing my feelings down and publishing on blockchain to preserve it forever, and by listing a higher price to encourage holders to sell it in a better price, and by intriguing possible collectors to set reasonable offers.

Obviously it is an undiscovered gem that deserves more attentions. And I believe both the photographer and the lady in the this photo deserve more payback. IT IS ART. If it couldn't be called art and receive what it deserved, then that is the old story repeating once again and again: u'll starve to death if u want to become an artist.

Since i want to write an article about it, i asked a lots of questions under Görkem's twitter thread. I didn't receive Görkem's reply very soon, and i noticed he was actually online, so i was a bit nervous, wrote a private message to him. Turns out it was just an accident. He didn't receive the notifications of twitter.

I explained to him why i'm so touched by this work, especially after reading the story behind this work, and he told me more about it. Yes, the title "Lux Aeterna" means endless light, "It's about the complete disappearance of fear," he says: "and the female in the photo, her name is 'su', Turkish for "water." This is an interesting detail."

******

Water. The fear of water. The fear of anything. How one person can conquer any kind of fear with the company of a good friend, is the precious and invaluable story behind "Lux Aeterna." Following are the original words that copy and paste from Görkem's twitter thread:

"It was an impressive moment for me. My friend has water related traumas. She was trying to beat them. We swam together all summer and she always went over her fears."

"And the moment I took this photo underwater, I really felt that she broke his chains and felt completely free and happy."

"interesting technique is shooting with an action camera. I forgot the rotate 360 ​​degrees setting on. The first time I saw this moment, it was really like that. it was like a dream. Like a moment of astral projection.That's why I didn't fix the photo digitally afterwards."

"Leaving the world behind is the best experience most feeble minds fear to try." Görkem wrote it alone with this work.

******

I have a friend who also has aqua-phobia, and she was trying to conquer that by join a training this summer. She tried, and i was very proud of her.

My sister wanted to learn scuba-diving before, but once she encountered a near-death experience in the sea, and she still has the trauma until now, and it's okay.

Me myself ? I also have a feeble mind; not aqua-phobia though, but these experiences around me makes me resonate with this work and the story behind it so much.

That night, i could't help but keep thinking about the meaning of being an artist, a photographer, about creating, is to capture those moments that means to ourself in first place, then to touch others with that truthfulness, and then to resonate with other souls….

Görkem and the lady in the photo did all these, and somehow i believe there are a lots of people like me, will be encouraged by this artwork and the story deeply. It mildly sends a strong message to all the weak parts of our souls, whisperings: "Don't be afraid. Forget about the rest of the world for a while. I'm here. I'll accompany with you. Let's give it a try, don't be hurry, little by little, everything will be okay...."

I appreciate that on this world there are two artists create this photo together. A piece of artwork that inspires and encourages me so much.

******

Therefore, I'd like to write all my feelings down, and spread this work and the story behind it as possible as i could. I feel really sad when i saw that the first hand price was sold only for 0.6t. (the artist's income = 0.6t * 15ed = 9t = about 23 USD in total) This work deserves much more attentions. These two artists deserves much more paybacks.

So, while I’m still holding the ownership of this NFT, I’m going to print it out for my friend, my sister, and me myself, and later i'll set a higher secondary market price listing, encouraging holders to sell in a better price and also possible collectors to make a better offer.

I wish to level up the price just to show what i think it deserves in my mind. I haven't decide how much I should set yet. But i want to split the profits into 3 parts, one for myself, one for Görkem, and one for the lady in the photo. Therefore I will transfer 2 parts of the profits to Görkem, and i trust him to give that one part to the lady in the photo.

It's not a request from the artist or anyone, but a way i wish to show my respect and love of this works. Don't get me wrong, i have zero intention to judge any others. i just do i want to do "in this case."

My tezos wallet address is tz1ii5qU5pWFiVnnsVUNwUzQEzWn63cbw75N
Görkem's tezos wallet address is tz1P5BmwDjpPgmwbwwQFnHMgmWvMq4pJaAYE

Matters is a writing platform based on blockchain, so i write it down here as a proof and promise to myself. Thank you two for creating this breathtakingly beautiful photo that touches a soul on the other side of the earth. I wish to pass it forward.

YUIN
2 May 2022