Kelly Milligan

The exploitation of natural resources presents an inherent imbalance. While profits stack up, the true costs distribute.

StackSlash utilizes a 2D rigid-body physics engine for composition. Rectangular bodies are placed within a scene and the forces of gravity and collision guide them into a stable resting state. The rendering of the system occurs in two parts: While interacting, the bodies are rendered in a 2D canvas to allow fluid manipulation. Once the system arrives in a stable configuration, a heavier WebGL rendering step creates and applies surface textures to the bodies. The system is fully responsive and can extend to any viewport size upon interaction. The composition is initially presented in its default 3:4 deterministic state.

__What is the thread that runs through the very first pieces of art you created and the work you’ve created for the Diamond Exhibition?__

A study of deeply nested fractal noise appears in a number of my works as a textural tool. From early exploration in Rust, evolution through Terraform and Terroir, and finally repurposing in Act of Emotion and now StackSlash, there’s a deeply organic touch that this technique provides. It’s hard to control, and difficult to fine-tune, however the range of potential outcomes is remarkable. 

__What do you enjoy the most about your art and, specifically, the work you’ve put out in the Diamond Exhibition?__

I find the charisma of physically arranged forms quite striking. Wonky and out-of-place, they feel natural and effortless, like objects from the tangible world. I come back to this simulation-for-composition approach again and again, it has really captured my interest. 

With StackSlash, I like how convincing the faux refractive, glass-like effect appears. While fundamentally very naive from a mathematical perspective, smoke-and-mirrors approaches like this present something digitally analogous to traditional painting in my mind: communicating the appearance of a material through color and light and texture.

__What do you hope people seeing your work for the Diamond Exhibition will take away?__

I hope the audience finds joy in interacting with the system: throwing objects around, building structures, and exploring the depths of the texture. 

Ultimately too, I hope that the concept behind the work makes them consider the environmental impacts of our extractive tendencies.

__What impact, if any, has the NFT community had on your artistic approach? Is there anything you are able to do now that you weren’t able to do before?__

The NFT community has enabled me to focus my time on my practice! Even in my current chapter, where time is an especially precious and limited resource, I’m spending more time than ever on this work. I’m very grateful for the ability to do so.
Collectors expectations guide some interesting and unexpected new goals for my work too. An example: a preference for immediate static rendering of work. I love animated and interactive art, and so I continue to include that in my work; but I’ve started providing this in 2 steps: Firstly a deterministic and immediate render of the “piece”, followed by effortless interaction and animation for those who wish to dive a bit deeper. 

__What’s next for you and your art? What are you excited about for the rest of the year?__

I have a popup show in my local community later in the year! I’m so excited to teach more people here about generative and code-based art, a relatively oblique concept for many traditional art appreciators in New Zealand.

Additionally, I have a couple of non-NFT-based passion projects I hope to roll out this year, keep an eye on my Twitter!


Behind the Work with Kelly Milligan

StackSlash

ippsketch

A structure, once whole, has split. Shadows reach from one side to the other in a futile attempt to bridge the chasm. The impossible distance from here to there is too far to judge. The light indicates a moment in time, as if the sides could still be moving. But would they be drifting apart or will they come back together?

__What is the thread that runs through the very first pieces of art you created and the work you’ve created for the Diamond Exhibition?__

I’m drawn to clean and well-defined geometric forms that are broken and distorted by the randomness introduced by the generative process. I also strive for minimalism with just enough texture and detail to make the viewer want to look closer and allow the work to be enjoyed at different scales. These are threads that have run through my work from the start and which I continue to explore and refine.

__What do you enjoy the most about your art and, specifically, the work you’ve put out in the Diamond Exhibition?__

I enjoy art that isn’t prescriptive. Somewhat abstract, but with enough form to provide a definitive structure should the viewer wish. I want the collector and viewer to participate in the experience with me and give them the freedom to see what they want without imposing my views on them.

__What do you hope people seeing your work for the Diamond Exhibition will take away?__ 

The desire to return and see the work differently from day to day and to be moved by the image with a sense of mystery and wonder as to what it is and what it means to them.

__What impact, if any, has the NFT community had on your artistic approach? Is there anything you are able to do now that you weren’t able to do before?__ 

The NFT community has really allowed me a place to seriously pursue and develop my craft. I love making art for the sake of making art, but the community around the generative art NFT space has made making art a truly engaging and exciting experience. I’ve made friends, met them in irl events, and learned and grown from watching other artists in the space. These communities are very special things to be a part of.

__What’s next for you and your art? What are you excited about for the rest of the year?__

In addition to being an artist, I’m also a mechanical engineer. Much of my engineering practice has focused on simulating, designing, and building devices. To build devices, engineering drawings and assembly instructions are needed. These devices are then subject to the real world, where disturbances and noise affects their output. There are strong parallels here to generative art, which is a set of instructions altered by random noise to produce different outputs. Without giving too many details away, I’ll just say that I want to explore how these ideas might be merged.

Behind the Work with ippsketch

Impossible Distance

Eric De Giuli

cathedral study is a series of experimental, generative, living paintings. Continually evolving pixelated landscapes evoke ruins, fantastical cityscapes, and cathedrals. Best viewed running in real-time on a large screen. Once minted, pieces in the collection can be interacted with by pressing f to cycle through full-screen options.

__What is the thread that runs through the very first pieces of art you created and the work you’ve created for the Diamond Exhibition?__ 

I’ve always been fascinated by the way that complex forms are generated from simple rules, both in nature and in code. It’s the common theme that runs through my professional work in physics and my generative art practice. The particular subjects of each collection differ, but I’m always exploring the boundary between organization and chaos, and the natural tension there. 

This tension can take many forms. Recently, I was admiring a medieval wooden sculpture at the MET, noticing how much of the atmosphere of the final piece came from woodworm holes puncturing the delicately carved religious figure. I don’t know if they existed at the time of sculpture, or came later, but it made me think about juxtaposing the static composition of painting with a dynamic medium. That led to cathedral study.

__What do you enjoy the most about your art and, specifically, the work you’ve put out in the Diamond Exhibition?__ 

It’s the dance between control and randomness that makes generative art exciting: knowing the construction of each code, but not knowing what exactly will come out in each piece. Here, in cathedral study, I’m exploring the possibility for animated, real-time work to be like a living painting. Generative forms – in this case architectural – are `painted’ onto a canvas that itself is dynamic, evolving under its own set of rules. The result is, I hope, a new type of work, which uses the unique capabilities of a digital medium running code in real-time.

__What do you hope people seeing your work for the Diamond Exhibition will take away?__ 

Painting is older than civilization. In our digital age, there is no need to imitate traditional media. Instead we should explore the new artistic possibilities afforded by ubiquitous computing, ultimately giving new experiences to the viewer. Cathedral study is a modest step in this direction.

__What impact, if any, has the NFT community had on your artistic approach? Is there anything you are able to do now that you weren’t able to do before?__	

I created generative art for many years before NFTs existed. Then, to release a work, I would upload it publicly on a discussion forum or gallery. But after initial interest, pieces faded from view. NFTs bring ownership into the picture, and I think that facilitates meaning: what you choose to collect says something about what you believe in, and how you see the world. 

__What’s next for you and your art? What are you excited about for the rest of the year?__

My collection Calian released on Artblocks in March. It’s an interactive, animated work, so it takes time to appreciate. I hope to continue sharing its features with the world. Meanwhile, I will continue to work in the direction that cathedral study points to. I don’t know where it will lead now, but I see many possibilities on the horizon.


Behind the Work with Eric De Giuli 

cathedral study

DirtyRobot

Kid Heart is an experimental character of pure heart and mind, ready-made to explore the world.

__What is the thread that runs through the very first pieces of art you created and the work you’ve created for the Diamond Exhibition?__

The most common thread is the limited use of colors within a set palette.

__What do you enjoy the most about your art and, specifically, the work you’ve put out in the Diamond Exhibition?__ 

I’ve always preferred the creative journey for each piece over the destination, the finished artwork. This is purely because each work takes a different approach, even if I am applying the exact same tools. Every drawing brings its own set of challenges and experiences to overcome, which I find to be the most rewarding aspect. 

The “Kid Heart” piece for the Diamond Exhibition provided a slightly different approach conceptually and I thoroughly enjoyed trying out new ideas to reach what I would call an organic ending, but also a platform to potentially a new foundation for future creations. 

__What do you hope people seeing your work for the Diamond Exhibition will take away?__ 

I hope my work will bring some kind of joy and positive vibes to people’s lives.

__What impact, if any, has the NFT community had on your artistic approach? Is there anything you are able to do now that you weren’t able to do before?__ 

I wouldn’t say it’s had any effect on my approach, if anything it’s amplified what I’ve always done in the sense that the community have begun identifying my signature drawing habits. And although I was trying to avoid some obvious traits with this “Kid Heart” piece, it is inevitable that certain details are deeply rooted in my style. It can be quite a challenge to break, but we’ll see - all good fun nevertheless. 

__What’s next for you and your art? What are you excited about for the rest of the year?__

I’m super excited for the next chapter in my development and journey as an artist this year, as I close out a large project that has been with me for the best part of 5 years. With something so large completed, I will regain time, energy and the ability to focus on exploring, experimenting and executing some cool ideas I’ve had stored away for quite a while.

Behind the Work with DirtyRobot

Kid Heart

Beeple

10 of the 100 pieces have been reserved for raffle winners from the event at NFTNYC. This leaves 90 pieces to be distributed as part of the Exhibition.

Everydays: Group Effort

Marcelo Soria-Rodríguez

__What is the thread that runs through the very first pieces of art you created and the work you’ve created for the Diamond Exhibition?__

The main thing that drove me to search for my artistic expression (even though back then I didn’t think I was creating art), is some form of beauty that sparks a reaction for the person experiencing my work. 

This is what has always attracted me to various forms of art (architecture being probably the first, then music, painting and later on other performative arts). The way art makes me feel; the way it touches the inner self and allows one to elevate into a state of being that differs from person to person; is incredibly positive. 

From the start, I have always used technology as a tool for art making. As my life progressed I worked in technology, innovation and strategy for a good number of years and I became interested in the relationship that arises between technology and humans, and the possibility of expanding our total cognitive and emotional space with the aid of technology. This is a topic that is present in all of my work in one way or another for the past two years. 

__What do you enjoy the most about your art and, specifically, the work you’ve put out in the Diamond Exhibition?__

As I have mentioned, to me it is paramount that a work of art provokes a reaction for the person experiencing it. . My work usually has a degree of interactivity that seeks to expand the experience and to allow the person to explore their reaction; there is no objective experience with a work of art. Allowing this interactivity, in one way or another, is a way to let people better understand their own subjective experience. 

In the case of the piece for the Diamond Exhibition, I seek to integrate into the piece some notion of explanation of what generative art is and what it can achieve in terms of the exploration of possibilities. We live in a world that has a number of given things, shaped by innumerable circumstances and by our history so far. 

A generative piece is, in a way, a simulation of all the possibilities - of the rules that the artist instills in the artwork. As one traverses that simulation, one may trigger some thoughts about how one’s own world might actually be wider if one acts on certain parameters to change the outcome. 

At the same time, I find the piece has to speak at an emotional level to the person experiencing it. For many people, this means that it has to be aesthetically appealing. Most pieces that move me have a facade that is resonant with my inner workings.

__What do you hope people seeing your work for the Diamond Exhibition will take away?__

Something that moves them! If they can understand slightly better what generative art means and, more broadly, that we are bound by context but in the context we are bound by our own actions, that’s a plus.Mostly, I hope that they feel some connection to the piece, a connection that will necessarily be personal to each and every one.

__What impact, if any, has the NFT community had on your artistic approach? Is there anything you are able to do now that you weren’t able to do before?__

I started dedicating myself full time to art during 2020, after a failed attempt at creating a company due to the Covid pandemic.t the time I didn’t know what NFTs were. I learned about them by the end of the year, and the whole concept and activity around NFTs has accelerated getting me to the point where I can make a living out of my artistic output. There are a number of things that you can only do if your artwork is an NFT, but in my case I haven’t yet fully exploited the medium-specific characteristics / dynamics. I have some plans to explore certain things in the near future… 

Aside from that, I have found a positive energy, wonderful human relationships and an explosion of art that I highly doubt I would have experienced  without the NFT community. I started my journey in hic et nunc.xyz (now reborn as the community driven project teia.art) and I see it as the first, most vibrant, inclusive and interesting blockchain art market in my view. The people I met through that, and the art I was exposed to was definitely something that shaped my view on the space and that gave me much at an emotional and intellectual level.

__What’s next for you and your art? What are you excited about for the rest of the year?__

I have some upcoming shows and commissions which are a first to me and this always brings the ineffable joy of unbound curiosity. It allows one to try to look at things with fresh eyes and feel once more the strength of possibility and wonder taking root in one’s being, typically partially torn by the battles of everyday adulthood. 

I am also excited at the idea of stopping at some point to take some time to reorder thoughts and allow for the whole stream of experiences I have been exposed to for the past two and a half years to settle down. The NFT space exhibits a very demanding pace, and one has to know when to halt to seek reflection, a moment to pause , rest and a sense of calm to keep intact the inner resources for good, solid work.

Behind the Work with Marcelo Soria-Rodríguez

Extrañezas

Carlos Marcial

*The Collector's Room* represents my inaugural foray into the realm of long-form generative art NFT series, and I am honored to present this work in collaboration with the esteemed Proof Collective and Moonbirds. My fascination with generative art began in early 2022, prompting me to acquire coding skills to elevate my 3D digital art practice. By March 2023, Sotheby's auctioned *The Work of Art as an Algorithmic Aesthetic System*, my second foray into algorithmically-generated 3D art. *The Collector's Room* serves as a culmination of the initial phase of my exploration into creative coding.

This series synthesizes my well-established Infinity Room NFT series with my burgeoning passion for crafting textures, 3D geometries, and colors through code. Each NFT, or room, in this series functions as an homage to the current moment generative digital art is enjoying within the contemporary art sphere. Furthermore, this project pays tribute to the discerning digital art collectors who passionately support and preserve digital culture, paralleling the enthusiasm of the artists who create it. 

In a unique twist, each room offers the option of being adorned with one of three distinct generative art series, exclusively available within *The Collector's Room*. Consequently, this creates a meta-generative art project, encapsulating a myriad of generative art series within a larger, overarching generative endeavor.

__What is the thread that runs through the very first pieces of art you created and the work you’ve created for the Diamond Exhibition?__ 

My fascination is deeply rooted in the Infinity Room series, one of my most recognized 3D art and NFT collections. I've successfully managed to blend this series with the world of creative coding and generative art, demonstrating my versatility and artistic growth.

__What do you enjoy the most about your art and, specifically, the work you’ve put out in the Diamond Exhibition?__

I really enjoy coming back to the same aesthetic questions and obsessions, over and over again. Throughout my artistic journey, I've delved into themes of repetition, perspective, and representation in digital art. For the Diamond Exhibition, I particularly relished the opportunity to create a generative series that encompasses three mini-generative art series within it. These smaller series adorn and enliven the walls of "The Collector's Room."

__What do you hope people seeing your work for the Diamond Exhibition will take away?__

An unrestrained and excessive love for the present and future of generative art, and digital art in general. I also envision viewers settling comfortably into the collector's chairs within these generative rooms. I hope they discover the space and time to appreciate art and nurture their capacity for admiration through the contemplation of these pieces.

__What impact, if any, has the NFT community had on your artistic approach? Is there anything you are able to do now that you weren’t able to do before?__

It's quite straightforward: Prior to the emergence of NFTs, I had to balance various design jobs to sustain myself while creating art during my limited free time. However, NFTs have afforded me the opportunity to dedicate my full time and energy to my art, which has been an incredible blessing, particularly as a Latin American artist.

__What’s next for you and your art? What are you excited about for the rest of the year?__

I am eager to see the future trajectory of my art. Although I have been involved in the NFT scene since 2019, it truly feels as if I'm just beginning. One of my generative NFTs recently sold at Sotheby's, and I am confident that throughout the remainder of this year, my art will be showcased in major galleries and art publications worldwide. Additionally, I am thrilled to explore the myriad ways in which I can continue utilizing code to create contemporary art.

Behind the Work with Carlos Marcial

The Collector’s Room

Andrew Mitchell

__Explore sample outputs from the algorithm [on testnet](https://artist-staging.artblocks.io/engine/flex/projects/0x5f53e89f060f6b45333b0ca809e126795bd978e9/16).__

Memory Loss is a generative art collection created with p5js.

With Memory Loss I wanted to create something that would be simple and open to the interpretation and imagination of the viewer.

When I was young, my mind was flexible, able to fabricate memories of forgotten lands. Robot Pirate Island was never more than a few seconds away. Growing older, this ability dampened. The area of my brain used for imagination was filled with school, work, family, and friends. And yet, when I look at each Memory Loss I see a distant land; a rocky outcrop; a field of wheat; a  rough sea.

__What is the thread that runs through the very first pieces of art you created and the work you’ve created for the Diamond Exhibition?__

The ever changing seasons, the ebb and flow of the tides, the rolling clouds; these elements are just some of the roots of my work. Each piece I make tells the story of places past, lands filled with lush forests and roaring rivers. The thread that runs through all my art could be encapsulated in one word, “reminiscence”--reminiscing on a time and place from the past.

__What do you enjoy the most about your art and, specifically, the work you’ve put out in the Diamond Exhibition?__

I love the sense of nostalgia I get. Each piece reminds me of somewhere I may have visited in a dream. They take me back to my youth, when my mind was more flexible, able to imagine distant and forgotten lands. When I look at each of the pieces in my Diamond Exhibition work, Memory Loss, I see landscapes; a rocky outcrop; a field of wheat; a rough sea. It is meant to appear fantastical, with bright colors, flowers, vines, stars, and living creatures splayed across the canvas in implausible ways.

I am also pleased with how Memory Loss has so many parallels with Sky Meadow. Both collections deal with reminiscence. 

__What impact, if any, has the NFT community had on your artistic approach? Is there anything you are able to do now that you weren’t able to do before?__

The community has done wonders for my motivation. Thanks to the NFT community, artists are able to create and publish art individually as the inspiration comes to them. 
Being in the NFT community is a bit like cycling–you are constantly moving in the slipstream of other artists and collectors. When they speed up, so do you. We are all taking our turns on the front of the group, pushing each other to go faster and faster. 

I have to be thankful to the collectors and supporters I have for collections like Primera and Sky Meadow. Both collections I did entirely independently–using a custom contract for Primera, and a custom contract extension for Manifold for Sky Meadow. Without the support of the community, it would have been impossible to market and share these collections. The act of creating a contract and website to sell your art feels a lot like putting up a stand at a farmers market. Just like you can talk to an artist at a fair, I can make legitimate connections with artists and collectors through Twitter DM.

__What’s next for you and your art? What are you excited about for the rest of the year?__

I have a release on Nifty scheduled for late April along with the Diamond Exhibition. I also have a script on my computer that I have been	working on for a while now that I would love to get over the finish line–not sure about its completion date but it’s in progress. I am trying to slow down and take my time because generative art is a constant battle against oversupply. I have a lot of art on my computer stored in files titled “untitled.js” and “idk.js” that I am looking forward to someday having the chance to work on and perfect. I am also excited about summertime and the longer days–sitting out on the porch with a coffee and my laptop, working on art while the sun sets, is one of my favorite things. Last but not least–if Arsenal comes through and wins the league next month, I think I could probably say “job done” to 2023. 

Behind the Work with Andrew Mitchell

Memory Loss

Linda Dounia

DES CHOSES™ is a flash fiction experiment which explores love and loss in a relationship between human and machine. In a series of postcards divided in 11 chapters, we learn about two entities, intertwined then estranged. The story also unfolds in the abstract landscapes and environments in each postcard, giving us hints about where the lovers might have been when they wrote to each other. 

DES CHOSES™ was produced using a procedural approach of 5 stages. First, the worlds (central shapes) were mapped out and outlined using a vector drawing tool. Second, the textures were produced through generative AI, using prompts. Third, the story was written by the artist and a generative AI model trained to impersonate one of the characters. Fourth, the typographic composition was developped, printed on recovered paper waste, and scanned for a gritty and nostalgic feel to match the theme of the story. Finally, all elements were used to create the final compositions.

__What is the thread that runs through the very first pieces of art you created and the work you’ve created for the Diamond Exhibition?__

From a practice standpoint, I have this masochist tendency to complicate my work. I enjoy being challenged in my practice, to the point of frustration even. So I think behind everything I make, there is a struggle to resolve a host of problems, some new, some old, all problems that I have created for myself. Once I figure out how to use a particular tool, my instinct is to add it into my workflow and figure out how I can misuse it and/or combine it with a different tool to get something new out of it. 

For this particular series, I combined at least 5 mediums (not counting the ones I experimented with but didn’t include in the final outputs). There is also a generative AI model trained on textures and another trained on my writing. There are some analog tools in there too. It was a mind-fuck (in the best of ways) figuring out how all the layers might come together and developing the procedural steps to ensure all 77 outputs belonged together. 

From a thematic standpoint, I think I have been on a long journey to recreate a map of my childhood. I grew up in a place that doesn’t exist anymore. Literally. The street I grew up on, my childhood home, and the incredible people who raised me (my Jido and Téta) are gone. Most of my old neighborhood has been absorbed by the city’s central market. My childhood home was sold, demolished, and turned into stalls. My grandparents have both died. It’s on that street though, which had a bakery, a convenience store, and a bar that I first learned about art. And it’s while painting the walls of my childhood home with my grandparents that I learned that I enjoyed mark-making. This series is a love story between a human and a machine, but the stories I used to train it are my best recollections of my grandparents’ love story. 

__What do you enjoy the most about your art and, specifically, the work you’ve put out in the Diamond Exhibition?__

Process! I spend an enormous amount of time just playing around in my studio. Some of the experiments end up in pieces I make but really, I am just channeling my 5-year-old self enjoying how it feels to make a mark, to layer it with another mark, to dislike the result and use other marks to bring it home. The process I used for this particular series was just like that. I had no vision coming into it. I had some marks and words that I loved and gave myself the challenge to figure out how they could tell a story together. 

I also developed this series such that experiencing it actually feels like that. So to get the whole story of the series, collectors might have to dig around the artworks and put the map together. I will release the map of the series post-mint to make it a little easier, but I hope it’s a satisfying journey to figure out how the puzzle becomes a picture and what that picture means.  

__What do you hope people seeing your work for the Diamond Exhibition will take away?__

There are so many conversations about AI and generative systems in general that, to me, miss the point about how incredibly rewarding they can be for artists, especially when incorporated in a much larger practice. I want people to suspend disbelief, go beyond these usually boring questions and let themselves feel the outputs. Just like someone might approach reading a sci-fi story set on a different world, animated by different rules, with characters that are not remotely familiar. There is love, longing, heartache, confusion, beauty to be experienced in these works and the story they collectively tell. I hope people can latch on those and make their own mind about how art made procedurally and generatively can stir in them.  

__What impact, if any, has the NFT community had on your artistic approach? Is there anything you are able to do now that you weren’t able to do before?__

I am writing this from my own studio where I have all the tools and materials I need to further my search for mastery. I wake up in the morning, make coffee, go up to the studio and let my hands do what they do best. None of this would be possible without the NFT community, without every single person who’s ever liked, shared, spoken about, or collected my work. Joining web3 was a liberatory act for me. It allowed me to let my creativity run free and gave me the material means to continue doing it. 

I have also found, for the first time, a community of artists who are building a new reality for how artists exist with each other in the same space. There is so much solidarity in web3. In the collectives I am a part of, artists trade practice notes, discuss and share tools, support each other’s progress, celebrate each other’s wins, and just shoot the shit about random life stuff (ranging from mean algorithms to expensive radishes). I am happy in this world. In it, I have friends who help me be a better artist and human. 

__What’s next for you and your art? What are you excited about for the rest of the year?__

I have quite a few exciting projects lined-up for the next few months. 

In terms of talks, I have two coming up, one with Museum Folkwang’s ‘New Landscapes: NFTs and the Museum’ about AI, and another with MMAD Festival about curating for the art world we want. 
Drops wise, I am part of the Art on Ledger Stax drop this summer, where I will be presenting a generative AI collection of 956 asemic calligraphy works. I will also be working with Unit London to present a small selection of prints, and with Verse to present a longer form collection from the same genus of work. 

Finally, I am working on a project for the Biennial Sur which will be exhibited at the Gallerie Le Manège in Dakar. This project will also feature some street installations in a few neighborhoods around the city. I have been dreaming about bringing digital art to public spaces for a long time so I am incredibly excited about this one. The collection of digital works will be available to mint in Q4. 


Behind the Work with Linda Dounia

DES CHOSES™

Mindzeye

Solitude embraced him, as he walked through the wintry streets of Chinatown. Snow falling gently upon his shoulders, leading him towards the warm embrace of the lantern-lit path ahead.

__What is the thread that runs through the very first pieces of art you created and the work you’ve created for the Diamond Exhibition?__

I pride myself on capturing the true feeling of whichever destination I am shooting. Whether it’s a quiet canal in Venice, a busy street in New York City, or a sweeping view of mountain vista, I want to transport the viewer there - to feel what I felt during my experience. I can only hope that I can achieve this with each of my images and that this is the commonality across my complete body of works. 

__What do you enjoy the most about your art and, specifically, the work you’ve put out in the Diamond Exhibition?__

As a photographer, I’m always chasing the high of creating the perfect piece. The entire process of discovering a composition, capturing it at the right moment, post-processing the files, and seeing the final product is very exciting to me. The thrilling feeling I experience while creating my work is the most enjoyable part. 

__What do you hope people seeing your work for the Diamond Exhibition will take away?__

My photography is the art of my experiences. It’s created from the heart with the intention of sharing a piece of me with my viewers. My only hope is that the viewer will enjoy it. 

__What impact, if any, has the NFT community had on your artistic approach? Is there anything you are able to do now that you weren’t able to do before?__

Ever since joining the NFT space in early 2021, I’ve slowed down my approach to photography. I’ve become more patient, critical and meticulous. This has allowed me to hone in on my strengths to create a recognizable style while focusing on quality over quantity. 

__What’s next for you and your art? What are you excited about for the rest of the year?__

I’m excited to announce that I’ll be releasing my first book later this year. It will be in stores across North America for the holiday season. Aside from that, I will be traveling to multiple new countries across Europe to create new pieces. 

Behind the Work with Mindzeye

A Wintry Night in Chinatown

Justin Mezzell

End Transmissions is a collection based on a memory. Growing up, I can recall late nights trying to stay awake, lit by the steady glow of the television keeping me warm (and safe) as if some sort of digital campfire. Even while the evening slipped into the dark recesses of night where monsters lurked, there was something comforting about that persistent glimmer; keeping the room safe with its revealing reach into even the darkest corners of the room that would normally be swallowed by the darkness. There was safety within the bounds of that flickering light, shielding me and keeping at bay all of the things that slither through the night.

But eventually I’d drift off and I can remember being jarred awake when, at the end of the day, the programming would ultimately end with sudden and auditory cry that often roused me out of my sleep. There was something about that feeling, about waking up while the once ever-present television was essentially shrugging as if to say “I’ve got nothing left for you” that filled me with a sense of unease. It was as if all of the grownups who run the world were asleep, and here I was–alone and in a place I shouldn’t be at a time that I shouldn’t see. Peering behind the curtain where there was nothing left but me and whatever else roams the night at this ungodly hour.

That sense of being adrift in the unknown of night felt ominous. It felt unknown and I felt like a lone explorer who only wished to return to the safety and the comfort of sleep that would take me anywhere but here. I’d close my eyes and hope to find respite in the arms of a dream.

End Transmissions

Melissa Wiederrecht

This feels familiar 
But I can't figure out why 
Have I been here before 
Or was it a dream 
I remember this feeling 
I have felt this before 
Have I stepped in a time machine 
Gone warp speed back to....... when 
And just like that, the feeling is gone 
The memory was sweet, I want it back 
But I never did figure out what it was. 

(This is a generative algorithm written completely with code in Javascript and GLSL.)

__What is the thread that runs through the very first pieces of art you created and the work you’ve created for the Diamond Exhibition?__

I'm not sure it quite technically would count as the first art I made… since surely I have made art since I could hold a crayon… but ever since I was a kid I loved to create art that would follow a process and a system. At one point I had a set of rules for myself that I would use to draw mandala-like pencil drawings using coins (for tracing circles of different sizes) and random choices. I made hundreds of drawings with that system.  When I learned Photoshop, I would make similar processes that I would follow over and over but switch up every time and see what would come out. I can clearly see now that all of this was actually my beginning as a generative artist.  

After I learned to code (around age 12 or so) I immediately knew I wanted to use code to automate my drawing processes. In high school I made my first coded generative art with Flash. I went off to college to get a few degrees in math and computer science, but as soon as I graduated I picked up generative art again - determined to make a career of it. I spent a few years making skillshare classes about generative art, and then another few selling generative surface pattern designs on microstock sites.  

Finally, in late 2021 I discovered the NFT space, and have finally found a community and audience for my art. The point that I am trying to make here is that the common thread that has been there for me all along is the use of rules, processes, systems, and automation to create my art - namely, generative art.

__What do you enjoy the most about your art and, specifically, the work you’ve put out in the Diamond Exhibition?__

I absolutely love to take logic, numbers, rules, algorithms, math, and functions and carefully craft out of them something beautiful that tells a story and touches your emotions. 

With Deja Vu in particular, I am very proud of the way every single piece is unique and yet still holds onto the theme and tells the story. The outputs can vary extremely widely in color, mood, and composition, yet still all feel like a moment of deja vu.

__What do you hope people seeing your work for the Diamond Exhibition will take away?__

I hope they see in my work a spark of the infinite possibility inherent in generative art. Generative art, while it has been around for decades, is still really in its infancy - we have only just begun to see what can be done. I hope that the pieces move them emotionally and that people connect with the theme on a personal level. I hope every single piece of the collection pulls out different memories and feelings and finds an owner who is touched by it.

__What impact, if any, has the NFT community had on your artistic approach? Is there anything you are able to do now that you weren’t able to do before?__

The NFT community has given me a community that appreciates my work, an outlet for my creativity, and a way to earn an income with my work and work full-time as an artist.  I am often thinking and wondering about my legacy as an artist - will people look back at my work and remember it as something noteworthy - and I know that if they do, the work itself, the provenance that it was minted directly by me and when, and who bought it is all safe and clear for a long time to come.

__What’s next for you and your art? What are you excited about for the rest of the year?__

I am incredibly excited to see what the coming year will bring, and what I will be able to create. I plan to slow down and be really intentional with my releases, and constantly try to push the bar higher in terms of what I create and how it is released.

Behind the Work with Melissa Wiederrecht

Deja Vu

0xdgb

__What is the thread that runs through the very first pieces of art you created and the work you’ve created for the Diamond Exhibition?__

Beauty in simplicity.

__What do you enjoy the most about your art and, specifically, the work you’ve put out in the Diamond Exhibition?__

I think it's the minimalism and relatability. I like to create art that I’d enjoy looking at if it wasn’t my own, while also including relatable themes, topics or common interests. 

At the same time, I leave enough for the viewer to make their own connection and interpretations. 

For this piece in particular, I decided to feature my own Moonbird as a way to mark the occasion of working with Proof and joining the community. So this is also a celebration piece for me.

__What do you hope people seeing your work for the Diamond Exhibition will take away?__

I just hope the piece connects with viewers and collectors in some way - that may be a memory, a dream - or it may just remind them that they are part of a fantastic community. Maybe it will inspire some to print and frame their own birds.

__What impact, if any, has the NFT community had on your artistic approach? Is there anything you are able to do now that you weren’t able to do before?__

I am able to create the art I want to make. As I said previously, art that is aesthetically clean and pleasing, but it also allows me to express experiences, poke fun at things and just to have creative freedom. 

__What’s next for you and your art? What are you excited about for the rest of the year?__

I’m enjoying the current journey and trajectory I’m on, so just expect more of the same. More 1/1s, the odd edition here and there, and maybe some fun dynamic stuff thrown in the mix. And who knows, maybe a physical drop. 

Behind the Work with 0xdgb

Penthouse

Owen Moore

Inspired by my nostalgic love of rich worlds constructed in early video games using simple shapes with limited palettes, and the mesmerizing music visualization plugins that emerged in an era when sharing creativity online was a joyous pastime, this artwork reflects the playful media I have enjoyed over the years and aims to contribute more joy to the world.

__What is the thread that runs through the very first pieces of art you created and the work you’ve created for the Diamond Exhibition?__

I’m a relatively nascent artist, both in the space and generally, so my process right now is an iterative cycle of learning fundamental techniques in focussed studies followed by thinking about atypical ways I could explore them further in the prototypes that I build. This often leads me to a discovery that spawns the work that I eventually release. I also have a strong preference for creating new rather than building upon existing, and so much of my work thus far has been varied in its style and presentation. My use of vibrant colours and strong contrast are the attributes that tie much of my work together.

__What do you enjoy the most about your art and, specifically, the work you’ve put out in the Diamond Exhibition?__

Fully embracing what digital native artwork offers. While skeuomorphism is quite popular and many artists produce beautiful works that fit alongside physical art, I’m drawn more towards a niche where I can use technology as an input and output to create a unique experience. Much of my work has been animated or used some kind of interaction as a core component in the presentation. Flux for example rendered bands of flowing colours to the canvas, which were then analyzed by the code and fed directly into a synthesizer to produce a matching audio tone. These kinds of links between data sources and what is experienced are of great interest to me. I wanted to try the inverse flow, and so with WaveShapes it reads microphone audio data which is then fed into frequency analysis functions that modify variables used to render the structure to the canvas.

__What do you hope people seeing your work for the Diamond Exhibition will take away?__

How fun and joyful digital artwork can be! I wanted WaveShapes to be a demonstration of the value digital artwork can offer by creating something that begs to be on a screen alongside some music at a social event. Artwork doesn’t always have to be serious.

__What impact, if any, has the NFT community had on your artistic approach? Is there anything you are able to do now that you weren’t able to do before?__

It has given me the rare opportunity and privilege to do what I do best, which is to be technologically creative. I’m forever grateful for everyone who has collected my work. From that gratitude a burning motivation has been born to push myself hard and to produce higher quality work in every release to my name. To be innovative in the space and to do the unexpected as I explore what it means to be a digital native artist.

__What’s next for you and your art? What are you excited about for the rest of the year?__

I recently completed a solidity bootcamp in which I learned how to develop smart contracts and the dApps that interface them. Much of my artwork thus far has been of the typical long form generative meta, but I have wanted to release work that has a more direct relationship to custom data on chain to create unique collection mechanics as well as a means to augment the artwork by holders in ways that support the narrative. Being able to release artwork independent of platforms excites me, as my longer term goals are to tackle narratives I’m passionate about in innovative ways that won’t fit a mold.

Behind the Work with Owen Moore

WaveShapes

Terrell Jones

A solitaire is a precious stone set by itself in jewelry. Solitaire features Damon Deville alone next to a timeless car. This piece is meant to exude retro West Coast elegance.

__What is the thread that runs through the very first pieces of art you created and the work you’ve created for the Diamond Exhibition?__

I can’t remember now but the very first pieces of art I created were most likely drawings of people. I think there’s always been a focus on figures in my pieces and that’s only become more true lately. 

__What do you enjoy the most about your art and, specifically, the work you’ve put out in the Diamond Exhibition?__

My joy in my art just comes from creating and storytelling. I can sometimes feel selfish because of how catered I feel my art is to the things I like and want to see in art. This piece in the exhibition features one of my favorite cars and that was so fun to illustrate.

__What do you hope people seeing your work for the Diamond Exhibition will take away?__

I hope my work can please people's eyes and connect with them on a certain level. I wanted this sunset to bring people into my world as well as the classic car.

__What impact, if any, has the NFT community had on your artistic approach? Is there anything you are able to do now that you weren’t able to do before?__

I think with NFTs there has been much more of a focus on building collections of work instead of just one-offs. I feel like I’m better able to bring people along a journey and build a world in a way I never have before.

__What’s next for you and your art? What are you excited about for the rest of the year?__

Bringing more of my art to life is always on my mind. Whether that be a solo show, merch, figurines etc, I’m excited to take my art to new places in a fun way.

Behind the Work with Terrell Jones

Solitaire

Radix

If winds were fibers, what would they weave?

I live on a hillside near the coast. Seasonal winds sculpt the trees into tortured but elegant shapes. Some are stripped bare but still reach for the sky. Others bend their trunks to protect their foliage like a shield.
This project began with an idea to simulate smoke and the winding paths it follows. The smoke coalesced into strands of fiber and colorful yarn. Then it swirled into strange and organic forms.

Some look like those wind-sculpted trees. Others are blankets unraveling, or storybook creatures felted from wool.

If you look close, they are all fuzzy and soft and begging to be touched.
As this project developed I researched fiber arts, an artistic tradition with a rich history. I spoke with artists and friends who knit, weave, felt wool, and raise Alpacas and sheep. Windwoven pieces don't try to simulate actual weaving, but the project is grounded in the fiber arts world. Many palettes are drawn from yarn and wool roving colors, and even from the shades of Alpaca fur. The color blending mimics the dynamic colors that can be achieved when carding dyed wool.

Of course, most of the outputs could only be made with code, pushing fiber-like artwork into new realms.

__What is the thread that runs through the very first pieces of art you created and the work you’ve created for the Diamond Exhibition?__

I start every project with conscious intent in terms of concept, composition, and colorwork. There are detours along the way and things don’t end up exactly as planned. Windwoven is a good example of this. It began as a smoke simulation and evolved into something more like weaving. 

I tend to bounce between clean geometric works and those with more organic forms. But composition and a fearless (some have said reckless) use of color are common threads.

__What do you enjoy the most about your art and, specifically, the work you’ve put out in the Diamond Exhibition?__

The fun part of making generative art is when you are deep into a project and you add some new parameters or push them to extremes, and unintended but beautiful results emerge. Then you lean into that and make it a centerpiece of the project.

For Windwoven the fuzzy, felted textures emerged this way. That led me to try to simulate the way weavers can blend dyed wool colors through carding. The result is the color blending technique that creates those swirling organic forms in Windwoven.

__What do you hope people seeing your work for the Diamond Exhibition will take away?__

The main thing I hope people experience from any of my works is a sense of wonder. Does it catch your eye? Do you want to gaze at it a while and ponder how it was made? 

In generative art the process – the algorithm – is an essential part of the narrative. Understanding the algorithm at a high level can really deepen the experience.

__What impact, if any, has the NFT community had on your artistic approach? Is there anything you are able to do now that you weren’t able to do before?__

I was lucky to be a PROOF member from the start. PROOF and Art Blocks are my go-to communities, with easy dialog between artists, collectors, and degens in general. What people say in these spaces really makes a difference. 

Art Blocks and NFTs opened an entirely new market for generative art. It’s definitely influenced the type of art I create, to provide works in the formats and media that collectors prefer. I’m not sure it’s influenced my style much though. I tend to geek out for a long time with a concept and then surface later wondering -  ‘will anyone else like this weird thing?’

__What’s next for you and your art? What are you excited about for the rest of the year?__

My next projects move back toward more geometric, architecture-inspired forms. I’ve been experimenting with generative 3d geometry to create immersive scenes and sculptures. It’s taken a lot of re-tooling but I’m getting closer to realizing the grand concept I started with. Look for at least one of these projects later this year. 

Behind the Work with Radix

Windwoven

Ryan Bell

Ephemeral Tides is an exploration of the mesmerizing dance between chaos and control where unpredictability meets order. Each iteration of Ephemeral Tides brings forth a unique and fleeting moment, inviting viewers to embrace the beauty of impermanence and the subtle harmony that arises from the convergence of seemingly opposing forces. Experience the ebb and flow of Ephemeral Tides.

__What is the thread that runs through the very first pieces of art you created and the work you’ve created for the Diamond Exhibition?__

The first long form gen art project that I published on fxhash (Organized Chaos) has a similar focus on control vs chaos. There’s an arc of shared palettes and hatching motifs throughout the works between since that project and this upcoming drop.

__What do you enjoy the most about your art and, specifically, the work you’ve put out in the Diamond Exhibition?__

The tuning phase is the best! Once you’ve created the algorithmic tools, you can begin to sculpt the range of output features and permutations — the perspective widens and you can think about the look of 20 possible outputs at a time vs one specific. There’s a push/pull where sometimes turning one knob up means turning another down before you discover something really wild, then that goes hard in a new direction.

__What do you hope people seeing your work for the Diamond Exhibition will take away?__

I think they’ll definitely see the intensity of the focus that went into the algorithm. There’s a level of meticulous precision you can see in the work that takes it far outside the realm of random color or position. Yet, it’s all very abstract and fluid.

__What impact, if any, has the NFT community had on your artistic approach? Is there anything you are able to do now that you weren’t able to do before?__

This space continues to surprise and inspire with new ideas and voices. There’s been so much learning and sharing with other artists on a technical level that’s been great, but also just sharing success stories (and failures too) gives you the courage to try.

__What’s next for you and your art? What are you excited about for the rest of the year?__

The intersection of AI and generative art is extremely interesting to me. I’ve already been experimenting with writing new noise functions from the ground up with the assistance of LLMs with ideas that couldn’t be hatched any other way — it’s a game changer.

Behind the Work with Ryan Bell

Ephemeral Tides

grelysian

__This collection consists of 2 artworks, with a supply of 50 editions each.__

BEHEADED explores the lore of the Tigerbob and Gossamer Rozen universe in two forms. The beheaded tiger debuted on the cover of Gossamer’s self-published zine, Grimoire (2019).

BEHEADED (SELF-PORTRAIT) is an expression of the artist’s reflection on the 14-month period starting the Tigerbob brand and beyond. The mystical female character is one of many who appear adjacent with Tigerbob in the Tigerbob Bestiary collection. Colored pencil and ink are Gossamer’s primary traditional illustrative medium.

BEHEADED (ITERATION 2) begins to address the mysterious and explicit central narrative about Tigerbob’s separated head and body. Part of the "Iteration" series, this piece was made in Google Sheets and uses conditional formatting across multiple animated panels. Colors were sampled from BEHEADED (SELF PORTRAIT).

Both pieces are inspired by arcane topics including grimoires (books of magic), tarot cards, sigils, automatic writing, and bestiaries (collections of beasts and the natural world) that exist in current and prior work. For Gossamer, art is a type of healing magic that comes directly from the mind and manifests into the world, taking many forms.

The narrative of Tigerbob exists in the Tigerbob Genesis collection, the Tigerbob Concepts & Myths collection, and the Tigerbob Bestiary collection of NFTs. Further explorations occur in physical works such as tapestries, tattoos, sculpture, wearable art and more.

__What is the thread that runs through the very first pieces of art you created and the work you’ve created for the Diamond Exhibition?__

My work has always been narrative and autobiographical. Expressing myself and my state of mind is the crux of my work.

__What do you enjoy the most about your art and, specifically, the work you’ve put out in the Diamond Exhibition?__

Working in different mediums and modes of expression is most interesting to me. I’m always glad for an opportunity to share the same idea in different ways. Not only am I able to examine the concept from different perspectives, but I’m also able to enjoy the act of making pieces in different ways. 

Specifically, I navigate toward repetitive, mindful tasks that are usually quite intricate and require full attention to minute details, like mark making in pencil, setting tension and adjusting stitches in machine knitting, and data entry in spreadsheets. 

__What do you hope people seeing your work for the Diamond Exhibition will take away?__ 

I hope folks can start to draw the connection between the various bodies of work I create, across multiple mediums and markets (fine art, tattoos, clothing, etc). My hope is that, no matter how you prefer to indulge in art, there’s something I make for anyone who wants it. 

As I’ve said before, my work occurs in cycles from six months upward of three years or more. Many concepts I’m working on right now, like Tigerbob, were initiated more than four years ago. I have a lot of room to grow, and I can’t wait to continue sharing work I’m passionate about.

__What impact, if any, has the NFT community had on your artistic approach? Is there anything you are able to do now that you weren’t able to do before?__

The NFT community is a unique market where, much like tattooing, I am able to receive first-hand information directly from collectors and other artists participating in the space. I draw a lot of parallels between NFTs and tattoos, because there’s so much sharing and DIY in the space. I’m a self-taught tattooer, which is different from much of the “norm” of having a formal apprenticeship. I feel like NFTs can be for any kind of artist, and I love that about the space. There’s room to grow and learn and improve in just about any method imaginable.

__What’s next for you and your art? What are you excited about for the rest of the year?__

I have most of the year planned, with plenty of room to work around whatever the market decides to do.

I continue to grow and develop my fashion brand, which is the newest branch of fine art in the form of limited edition clothing. I’m also focusing on large scale 1/1 work and building a body of physical and digital works that are suitable for gallery representation. I hope to move in this direction while nurturing my community of supporters, fans, and holders.


Behind the Work with grelysian

BEHEADED (SELF PORTRAIT)

Summer Wagner

__This collection consists of 4 photographs, with a supply of 50 editions each.__

Underneath our sealed skin is an incomprehensible darkness that reaches to the bone. Umbra is a term used to describe the dark inner shadow our moon casts during an eclipse. Our bodies create an umbra, casting an inward shadow that propagates (like good soil) the light we create and project into the outer world. Our hands are agents of this umbra within, and here hold totems of the four elements: earth, water, fire, air. 

Bone: Earth element, from dust, to dust 
Crystal Ball: Water element, peering into the waters of the subconscious 
Green flame: Fire element, vitality and passion to guide us through the dark 
Dagger: Air element, intellect and choice words cut like a blade through air

__What is the thread that runs through the very first pieces of art you created and the work you’ve created for the Diamond Exhibition?__

I’ve always had a love for fantastical ritual. As a child I would act out little plays in the trees around my house, always fascinated with creating magic through combining elements. Braiding grasses, climbing trees and making mud pies were little rituals through play that would open doors to different stories and experiences of wonder. In early adulthood, I lost touch with this childlike alchemist within and didn’t rediscover this part of myself until taking pictures, now it’s a central part of my world-building. 

__What do you enjoy the most about your art and, specifically, the work you’ve put out in the Diamond Exhibition?__ 

I love entering into a meditative state while creating, and letting the work naturally unfold, which is why I always have items (totems) around me that I find interesting and pull me into that subconscious space. With this series, “Hands of Umbra” I really focus on a collection of totems that bring me into that world easily: the jaw bone, the crystal ball, the dagger, and a flame. 

__What do you hope people seeing your work for the Diamond Exhibition will take away?__

When people experience my work I hope that it transports them to a subconscious landscape within themselves, while also realizing that this subconscious is very active in our everyday lives. I want people to feel the uneasy bliss of balancing the physical and spiritual worlds. 

__What impact, if any, has the NFT community had on your artistic approach? Is there anything you are able to do now that you weren’t able to do before?__ 

Living in a smaller midwestern city, the idea of sharing my work with the world was something I couldn’t have imagined before NFTs. This space has made it possible for me to continue building the world of my imagination and share with people who enjoy entering into that world with me. It feels unbelievably special to be able to invite people to not just experience but be a part of this creative process. 

__What’s next for you and your art? What are you excited about for the rest of the year?__

I’m really excited to continue digging into the craft of storytelling. I will be releasing more narrative-driven work this year, working with more people of various age ranges and backgrounds to go further into a collective understanding of how we experience this world through stories. All around just furthering the landscape, visual language and characters present in my work and refining the ideas. Long story short, another 1/1 collection is on its way! Keep your eyes peeled. 

Behind the Work with Summer Wagner

Hands of Umbra

Sarah Ridgley

*And through the looking-glass, where maidens roam, 
the blossoms speak, to lead the lost ones home: 
'To seek the end around the bend — rewind 
your mind and leave the way you know behind.' *

*Viridaria* playfully revisits the adventure of Alice in the Garden of Live Flowers from *Through the Looking Glass* by Lewis Carroll. Alice learns that following the path through this garden only leads her back to where she has started. To break free, she finds that she must reverse logic and force herself to walk in the opposite direction of her destination.

In this series of artworks, the not-quite-perfect mirrored images challenge our perception of reality, inviting us to take a closer look, to welcome the surprises. Like Alice, we might discover that, to find our way, we must first step back and look from a different perspective.

__What is the thread that runs through the very first pieces of art you created and the work you’ve created for the Diamond Exhibition?__

I would say the thread running through all my work is my fascination with natural forms explored through generative techniques. My artistic style mostly involves creating organic and natural shapes, from billowing cloud formations to blooming flowers on a pool of water. I’m drawn to nature and thinking about how to interpret what I see around me into code. 

__What do you enjoy the most about your art and, specifically, the work you’ve put out in the Diamond Exhibition?__

I love using pixels as my medium. Generative art completely captured my imagination when I first stumbled across it, and I’m constantly delighted by the never-ending discoveries I make. I would say my favorite part of any series is working on color palettes. That was definitely challenging to understand at first. But now, I get so excited tweaking and tempering everything until it’s just right. 

This project has been incredibly fun for me. I was able to build on techniques I’ve used before, and experiment with some new ways to approach composition. I love how the imperfect symmetry and expressive brushwork compliment each other in this series. 

__What do you hope people seeing your work for the Diamond Exhibition will take away?__

One of my main goals is to create works that provide an emotional and imaginative experience for the viewers. I like to encourage imagination, which can then inspire creativity and new ways of thinking. 

As a generative artist, the questions in this project are especially important to me. I spend so much time iterating on the tiniest variables, pushing things in all kinds of directions to see what I can discover. I never know what wild idea or alternative approach will lead to something new. And this doesn’t just apply to art. It's so important to reach outside of ourselves and approach any question we encounter from as many different perspectives as possible. 

__What impact, if any, has the NFT community had on your artistic approach? Is there anything you are able to do now that you weren’t able to do before?__

I would say the most important thing the NFT community has given me is the ability to connect with people. Before NFTs, I felt pretty alone with my generative art. No one around me really understood what I was doing. But with the rise of NFTs and all the various platforms, I’ve been able to connect with so many artists and collectors, both online and in person. Which is just the best thing ever! 

I’ll never forget going to The Digital by ARTXCODE in Miami. It was my first time meeting other generative artists in person, and was such a special event.

__What’s next for you and your art? What are you excited about for the rest of the year?__

I have one project I’m working on right now, but mostly I’m looking forward to taking a break! I feel like I have been going non-stop for the past 6 months, and I am very excited about having some time to relax and recharge. My next project, which will be released this summer, is with Ledger Stax.

 It’s interesting because I’ve talked about how much I love color, and yet this project is grayscale for an e-ink screen. It’s always good to challenge yourself though, so I can’t wait to see where this takes me.


Behind the Work with Sarah Ridgley

Viridaria

Tiffatronn

__This collection consists of 2 artworks, with a supply of 50 editions each. Currently pictured above is "Lucidity."__

*Remnants of a Distant Dream* is a diptych consisting of two artworks titled "Lucidity" and "Transcendence." Together, they explore the ephemeral nature of human aspirations and the passage of time. They serve as an ode to the transient and fragile nature of our collective memory, emphasizing the importance of embracing change and remaining curious.

The works were created using a mixed-media process that seamlessly blends generative code, hand-drawn elements and digital collage. Combined with the introduction of new tools and techniques to the artist’s process, this approach reflects the constant interplay between past, present, and future, further underscoring the need to adapt and remain open to new possibilities in the ever-evolving human experience.

__What is the thread that runs through the very first pieces of art you created and the work you’ve created for the Diamond Exhibition?__

The common thread in my artistic journey has always been the exploration of human emotions, aspirations, and our ever-changing experiences. From my earliest pieces to the Diamond Exhibition, I have consistently sought to incorporate new techniques and tools that push my creative boundaries, while staying true to my core vision of evoking a sense of curiosity and wonder.

__What do you enjoy the most about your art and, specifically, the work you’ve put out in the Diamond Exhibition?__

I particularly enjoy the process of experimentation and learning that goes into creating each piece. For the Diamond Exhibition, I loved discovering new ways to integrate code into my hand-drawn approach. I really enjoy the element of unpredictability in art, but so far I've only been able to incorporate this aspect in a somewhat limited way. With the help of chatGPT I was able to create a script that layers a selection of my abstract marks together in interesting and random ways to generate new patterns + textures, which I then cut + collaged into my digitally hand-drawn pieces to produce the final result. This challenge not only elevated my work but also expanded my understanding of artistic possibilities and got me excited to learn and explore again.

__What do you hope people seeing your work for the Diamond Exhibition will take away?__

I hope viewers will appreciate the fusion of traditional and digital techniques in my work, and that it inspires them to embrace change and remain open to new possibilities. 

I also hope they connect with the theme of transience and ephemeral nature of human aspirations, fostering a deeper understanding of our shared experiences and the importance of staying curious.

__What impact, if any, has the NFT community had on your artistic approach? Is there anything you are able to do now that you weren’t able to do before?__

The NFT community has been a significant catalyst for my artistic growth, encouraging me to explore new mediums and push the boundaries of my creative process. The support and collaboration within this community have opened doors to new possibilities, allowing me to continue to express myself through art, experiment with new tools and techniques and integrate them into my work in ways I couldn't have imagined before.

__What’s next for you and your art? What are you excited about for the rest of the year?__

I'm excited to continue pushing my self-imposed creative boundaries. As a non-generative artist who has long been fascinated by generative art, I want to keep experimenting with code and other methods of achieving randomness, in a way that still feels authentic to me in my otherwise very hand-drawn process. 

Also continuing to seek out collaborations and partnerships within the art community, there are so many talented people building amazing things who I’d love to work with! I believe that the blend of traditional and digital art forms holds immense potential and I enjoy learning new things, so I can't wait to see where this journey takes me.

Behind the Work with Tiffatronn

Remnants of a Distant Dream

PROOF is delighted to present the Diamond Exhibition, our first curated show for the Moonbirds community. This show marks our unified focus on art, artists, and art collecting. To celebrate our community, we have curated a show that showcases a wide range of artistic backgrounds and styles, including generative pieces, photography, hand-drawn works, and more. PROOF is dedicated to sharing the stories behind all of these collections. Diamond Exhibition is just the beginning of how Moonbirds will connect with these pieces and their creators. 

Type	Generative
Max supply	600

Details

Behind the Work with Kelly Milligan