Parker Day and Casey Rodarmor’s FUN! Assortment is an unprecedented synthesis of photographic maximalism and protocol-level innovation—a piece that stands alone inside the panorama of Bitcoin-native artwork. Saturated with Day’s daring shade palette, surreal personas, and layered identification play, the gathering is anchored by Rodarmor’s foundational position because the creator of the Ordinals protocol. Most notably, the sequence is inscribed immediately below Inscription 0—the primary inscription ever made utilizing the Ordinals Protocol—marking it as an ontological outlier within the digital artwork canon. No different assortment occupies this identical foundational location on-chain, making FUN! a conceptual and technical landmark in Ordinals historical past.
Now expanded with new reflections from each collaborators, this interview explores the challenge’s deeper ideological dimensions—from the mechanics of trustless auctions to the ethics of inventive compensation, from professional wrestling and portraiture to capitalist generosity and the social roots of worth. Collectively, Day and Rodarmor type a uncommon inventive pairing: artist and dev, photographer and protocol architect, equal elements absurdity and rigor.
One of many assortment’s most iconic works—that includes Rodarmor himself—is ready to headline the Megalith.art public sale, a Bitcoin-native sale construction that concludes on June third and will likely be showcased at each Bitcoin 2025 in Las Vegas and its satellite tv for pc occasion, Inscribing Vegas. The piece anchors a broader lineup that features standout contributions from main digital artists comparable to Submit Wook, Coldie, Ryan Koopmans, FAR, Rupture, and Harto.
It’s much less an interview than a glimpse right into a high-voltage collaboration:
Parker, your images is thought for its daring shade, eccentric characters, and fearless exploration of identification and persona. How did this collaboration with Casey come about, and what visible or cultural influences helped form The FUN! Assortment?
PARKER: Casey and I’ve identified one another since highschool. You would even say he was certainly one of my first fashions—I shot his portrait for my sophomore yr darkroom images class. We saved in contact through the years, and in 2017 he inspired me to show my ICONS sequence into crypto artwork. I handed on that on the time, however in 2021 I did launch an Ethereum NFT assortment of ICONS. Proper after that, Casey referred to as me and stated, “Yo! That you must go even larger! Do 10k!” And I’m like, “You already know these are all unretouched and shot on movie, proper?” However along with his encouragement and funding, we found out easy methods to produce 1,000 distinctive portraits.
The visible and cultural influences behind FUN! are too quite a few to call—only a mishmash of popular culture that’s been stewing in my mind since childhood.
The FUN! assortment was launched below a CC0 license, which means anybody can reuse, remix, or recontextualize the work with out restriction. In a challenge so rooted in persona, authorship, and efficiency, what led you to make that call—and the way do you concentrate on authorship or inventive management within the context of open licensing on Bitcoin? What would you discover fascinating to see achieved with the gathering past your authentic images methodology? What sorts of reinterpretations or mutations of the gathering would genuinely intrigue you?
PARKER: I find it irresistible. As an artist, when you create one thing and it leaves the studio, it’s out of your fingers. The viewers shapes the work in their very own interpretations. You don’t have any management over it. It appears foolish to say “that is my IP, you possibly can’t do something with it.” We stay in a world of memes, of copy advert infinitum. It appears anachronistic in as we speak’s world to clutch copyright with an iron fist. And it’s completely consistent with the ethos of Bitcoin to make the work CC0. By way of worth, the inscriptions are the scarce collectibles. Much more so than any editioned prints will ever be. Their inscriptions’ provenance is on chain, immediately descended from inscription 0.
There’s nothing particularly that I’d wish to see or not wish to see achieved with FUN! I simply hope individuals discover which means in it, and make which means from it.
You two have an uncommon inventive relationship: artist and protocol dev, patron and co-conspirator. Casey, you principally invented a brand new medium to assist Parker’s work. What does it imply to construct one thing enduring collectively in an area that usually prizes individualism?
CASEY: I find it irresistible. I imply—I actually find it irresistible. Parker and I are tremendous complementary. We every have our personal robust wheelhouses, and we’re at all times participating with one another’s work, however on this very chill, supportive approach.
Like, after we’re taking pictures, I’ll inform her what I feel seems to be cool or what may work properly within the assortment—but it surely’s by no means directive. It’s extra like, “Hey, right here’s some information. Do with it what you’ll.” And identical goes for the technical stuff. We’ll speak about metadata, domains, the web site format—she offers me her ideas, and it’s simply… enter. Take it or depart it.
We’re each so stable in our personal lanes that it makes collaboration straightforward. There’s no bizarre insecurity. She’s the inventive power behind the gathering—I do know that. I’m the technical spine—and he or she is aware of that. That type of readability makes it enjoyable.
And truthfully, I’m simply actually happy with this partnership. We’ve been in one another’s lives in a constructive approach for therefore lengthy—since highschool. Parker’s given me Bitcoin haircuts. I used to be bugging her to do NFTs in 2017. Even after we’d go lengthy stretches with out speaking, we at all times checked again in.
“Hey, how’s it going?”
“Noticed you on Twitter.”
“Noticed you on Instagram.”
It’s simply a kind of nice, long-running collaborations that’s rooted in mutual respect—and a shared willingness to go bizarre.
Casey, did you draw on any previous modeling expertise—or take notes from Raph? And what was it like working below Parker’s route: extra Kubrick or camp counselor?
CASEY: I feel I used to be fairly self-directed for the shoot. I wasn’t drawing on previous modeling expertise precisely—extra like theater child power. I’ve at all times beloved skilled wrestling. It’s extremely cool… and likewise extremely formulaic, so I get bored if I watch an excessive amount of. However each couple of years, I verify again in, see what the storylines are.
For this shoot, I knew precisely how I wished to ham it up—like knowledgeable wrestler. That wild, sweaty, insane power. The spiked ball pressed in opposition to my face. All of the bizarre faces. American professional wrestling is tremendous operatic, truthfully.
The character I used to be channeling? Largely Final Warrior. Parker actually nailed the eyes—these basic, intense Final Warrior eyes. He wore wild make-up and had that jacked-up look. Ric Aptitude was one other affect—primarily for the hair. He had this lengthy blond hair, and when it obtained bloody within the ring, it regarded insane.
As for Parker—positively extra camp counselor than Kubrick. She units the scene: every thing prepared, hair and make-up dialed, wardrobe laid out. We talked by means of the costumes a bit. She’ll give route, a couple of hints right here and there—but it surely’s actually as much as the mannequin to deliver it.
You may embody that (Casey snaps his fingers.)
Yeah. You already know? You already know.
The FUN! assortment options an interactive web site the place guests can filter portraits by temper, prop, background shade—even astrological signal. What impressed that type of performance?
PARKER: Earlier than FUN!, I had been fascinated with an exhibition that grouped photographs primarily based on emotional expression. Although the personas could seem wildly totally different, the core humanity is identical. I’ve at all times tried to equate disparate identities by taking pictures individuals in the identical approach—with easy material backdrops that strip away time and place.
The FUN! web site (fun.film), displays this concept: distinction in sameness, or sameness in distinction. It’s a software for play—but in addition a strategy to mirror on identification in a fragmented age.
Casey, you’ve described your self as a capitalist—however you’ve additionally given away instruments at no cost and pursued an nearly obsessive class in your work. How do you reconcile market perception with this ethic of generosity? And what does that stress imply for the way forward for Ordinals?
CASEY: There’s completely no stress—and that’s as a result of most individuals simply don’t perceive what capitalism is. Like, I can’t even start to unpack what individuals assume capitalism means.
Capitalism merely means the technique of manufacturing are privately managed. That’s it. That’s the entire definition. The options? You’ve obtained two: both (1) violent chaos, or (2) the federal government owns and allocates all capital. That’s it. These are your three choices.
So when individuals say they’re “anti-capitalist,” what they normally imply is: “I would like the federal government to regulate who will get what.” I’m not about that. I’m a staunch capitalist. I allocate my very own technique of manufacturing—my computer systems, my sources, my power—how I see match, not how the state tells me to.
And generally? That allocation consists of giving issues away. That’s not anti-capitalist. If the authorities confiscated my stuff and handed it out? Certain, that’s anti-capitalist. However me selecting to make one thing—generally promoting it, generally not—is 100% aligned with the spirit of capitalism.
Individuals must get with this system.
You requested in regards to the stress between generosity and revenue in Ordinals? There isn’t one. We’re social creatures. It’s nice to earn a living—cash’s enjoyable. However the true magic is the individuals you meet alongside the best way. You’re not gonna be in your deathbed wishing you made extra money. You’ll want you spent extra time with individuals who matter.
The great thing about capitalism is that it offers us a lot productiveness that we will afford to be beneficiant. You construct a lot surplus, you possibly can lastly do issues that aren’t transactional—mentorship, gift-giving, bizarre inventive stuff simply because it feels good. That’s the bounty of capitalism. It allows non-market pleasure.
Truthfully? The very best moments on this area haven’t been about cash. Yeah, the uncommon instances I’ve made some have been enjoyable. However the really nice stuff? The enjoyable initiatives, the bizarre experiments, the mates. That’s the soul of it.
Like, if I needed to stay in some crummy little place—however had healthcare, sufficient to get by, and this unbelievable community of individuals and concepts—I’d take that any day over ten instances the cash and no mates.
So I hope the degens are listening.
Megalith.artwork’s public sale mannequin introduces a novel strategy by leveraging atomic swaps for settlement. Might you elaborate on how this mechanism ensures trustless, on-chain finality for high-value digital artwork transactions, and the way it contrasts with the delayed, custodial settlements typical of conventional public sale homes like Sotheby’s or Christie’s?
CASEY: So, usually, once you swap items—say you stroll right into a pottery retailer and wish to purchase a pot—you hand the man a greenback. Now he’s obtained your cash… however you don’t have the pot. He might simply yell, “Get out!” and poof—you’re down a buck, no pottery.
Or possibly he offers you the pot first, however you don’t hand over the greenback. You run out the door. Identical downside. That is what we’d name a non-atomic swap—one celebration has to belief the opposite to observe by means of.
Bitcoin modifications that. With Bitcoin, you possibly can arrange atomic swaps. Which means: the artist offers up the artwork and the customer offers up the bitcoin, and both each issues occur or neither do. Totally trustless.
It doesn’t assure the artwork will promote, but when it does, the artist positively will get paid. And the customer positively will get the piece. No middlemen. No bizarre escrow.
What’s even higher is that on this setup—like the best way we’re doing it with Megalith—you possibly can actually see the platform’s minimize. It’s all baked in and visual. Tremendous clear. No humorous enterprise. It’s simply… an effective way to do issues.
Megalith.artwork implements quick, protocol-level cut up funds to artists and collaborators, minimizing KYC publicity and decreasing reliance on centralized intermediaries. How does this method improve transparency and effectivity in artist compensation in comparison with the traditional post-auction invoicing and payout processes?
CASEY: Yeah, the issue with conventional auctions is that they’re simply tremendous opaque. Each artist finally ends up negotiating a special cope with the public sale home. When you’re promoting a high-value piece, possibly you possibly can negotiate a greater minimize. However when you’re a more recent artist—or your work sells for much less—you’re in all probability giving up a much bigger chunk.
What we’re doing right here is far more clear. It doesn’t imply you can’t do variable preparations in principle—however on this case, everybody’s getting the identical minimize, and you may see that they’re getting the identical minimize. I feel that issues—quite a bit.
I’ve achieved occasions earlier than, normally VJing, and generally I’ve achieved it at no cost. Then I’d discover out later that among the DJs obtained paid, and I didn’t. That sucks. It simply places a foul style in your mouth. Both everybody will get paid, or nobody will get paid—particularly if it’s purported to be a volunteer factor. I really feel fairly strongly about that.
Identical goes for auctions. Some artists will promote for greater than others—that’s effective. However they need to all get the identical share minimize. That ought to be enforced on-chain, and it ought to be absolutely clear.
With this method, you possibly can really see what every artist is getting from every public sale. That’s the way it ought to be.
See extra from Parker and Casey at Inscribing Vegas on Might twenty seventh, and the Bitcoin Convention Las Vegas Might 27–twenty ninth. Bidding for all Megalith.art public sale heaps concludes June third.
Need to expertise it in individual? The Bitcoin Week cross offers you full entry to each Bitcoin 2025 and Inscribing Vegas—plus top-tier afterparties: https://b.tc/conference/2025/bitcoin-week