On the occasion of the upcoming release of Galo Canizares’s Presents project <a href="https://www.artblocks.io/collections/presents/projects/0x99a9b7c1116f9ceeb1652de04d5969cce509b069/422" id="">Skeuomorphs</a>, we are reprinting Jeff Davis’s conversion with the artist, originally published on September 2nd, 2022 on the occasion of his Curated release <a href="https://www.artblocks.io/collections/curated/projects/0xa7d8d9ef8d8ce8992df33d8b8cf4aebabd5bd270/341" id="">RASTER</a>.

In Conversation with Galo Canizares (itsgalo)

Find out more about our visit to the City of Lights. From NFT Paris to Le Bon Marché.

Art Blocks in Paris: Our Highlights

Charlotte Dann is a generative artist and engineer based in Brighton, England. With a background in web development and jewelry design, she brings a uniquely tactile perspective to digital art.

In Conversation with Charlotte Dann on Ceramics

```
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
 ___ _ _____ _ _ ___ __ __ ___ ___ ___ _ _ ___ 
 / __| |/ / __| | | |/ _ \| \/ |/ _ \| _ \ _ \ || / __|
 \__ \ ' <| _|| |_| | (_) | |\/| | (_) | / _/ __ \__ \
 |___/_|\_\___|\___/ \___/|_| |_|\___/|_|_\_| |_||_|___/

░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░

```

A skeuomorph is a derivative object that retains ornamental design cues from structures that were necessary in the original. They are used widely in architecture, product design, and perhaps most familiarly in user interfaces. Think: desktop icons like trash cans or notepads. SKEUOMORPHS is a meditation on this digital tradition. 

SKEUOMORPHS picks up where RASTER left off as an another exploration of the materiality of pixels and rasterized imagery. Here the study of pixels narrows in on the shallow depth of on-screen interfaces and the play of low-res figure-ground effects. Moments of skeuomorphism where the 2-dimensional plane of the screen becomes slightly 3-dimensional through beveling or drop-shadows are extracted and used as abstract painterly details. These elements that are typically used to make computation and interfaces more familiar become unfamiliar on the canvas, suggesting the possibility of an aesthetic between abstraction and realism.

SKEUOMORPHS employs recurring themes and techniques from my art practice: limited color palettes, low-res chunky pixels, dithering, and physics simulation. It uses a specific kind of dithering called R-sequence dither developed by Martin Roberts. Like traditional Bayer matrix-based dithering, this technique produces a patterned image akin to retro video games and early computer screens. In this project, the R-dither pattern results in a woven textile-like texture, which recalls the long relationship between computing and weaving. The canvas negotiates two scales simultaneously: that of the dithered pixel (rendered at 1/1024th of the canvas height) and the simulated particle that acts as a brush stroke (rendered at 1/256th of the canvas height). The two resolutions work together to produce a cohesive texture that is neither pretending to be a retrograde screen nor an analog material but something in between. Similar to RASTER, the goal is to investigate new avenues for digital aesthetics that rely on a combination of historical techniques and innovative practices.

Use mouse or touch controls to interact.
Press 's' to grab a still frame.

Collectors will be eligible to receive a signed archival giclée print of their mint.

SKEUOMORPHS

Contrast Agent is a collaboration between artist Tim Richardson and creative technologist Sean Zellmer. The title refers to chemical agents used in CT scans that make soft tissue visible in x-ray imaging. We were inspired by the ways this process reveals our interior physiology, making the connection between our exterior and interior bodies transparent. 

Drawing on CT imaging, we explored fractal geometry as a visualization of human physiology. The geometry is constructed with cylindrical orbit traps that possess an inherent self-similarity. Much like the vascular system of the body, the orbit traps have a nested symmetric structure with finer details mirroring the overall structure. 

This symmetric structure became the core motif for the edition and is embodied as an infinite visual loop. Each unique artwork is bound to this temporal cycle, creating an animated ‘liquid physiology’ emblematic of the shifting realities we engage with on a daily basis.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Artist - Tim Richardson 
https://www.instagram.com/timrichardsontv
Richardson's work has been exhibited internationally and is in the Collections of Deutsche Bank and Sir Elton John. Three books have been published on his work, most recently the monograph Spiritual Machine by Prestel UK.

Creative Technologist - Sean Zellmer
https://www.instagram.com/lejeunerenard/
Sean Zellmer has made a piece everyday for 5+ years focusing on shaders. His work has been exhibited in Times Square as part of Decode Experiential and in São Paulo for FILE Festival 2018. He has collaborated with brands such as Lush and Vans.

Contrast Agent

From the Insecta Class and Apidae Family, we find the Species Apis Mellifera: the western honey bee.  One of the more iconic aspects of honey bees is their hive, the hexagonal grid we call honeycomb; an efficient use of resources and space, and a beautiful representation of a geometric shape found in nature.

The humble grid has also been a mainstay of generative art from its earliest days.  Code up a loop or two and see what you can do.  What I've done with grids has been seen in many of my projects over the past year; in *Polka*, *Over the Air*, *Ode to Untitled*, and now *Mellifera*.  Breaking from the rectangular and square grid, and embracing the complexities of the hexagonal grid, *Mellifera* creates patterns working within the points and sides of a hexagon while laying out those patterns across a honeycomb like structure.

While working through this series of grid based projects, one main area of study has been finding ways to move off the grid, at least in appearance.  A recent move to a rural home has left me much more off the grid, and there's been a parallel through my projects.  Increasingly, I've explored ways to make the overall aesthetic not appear grid-like, to have a more organic feel, all the while though still centering elements perfectly in their place across the grid.  *Mellifera*, with its use of hexagons, imperfections, unique symbols, rotation, and negative space, is another step in this evolution, and the largest one yet.

While most of my work has embraced the digital and machine-like feel that computers and code are so easily capable of (again influenced from my appreciation of Roy), *Mellifera* moves in a new direction, introducing a more imperfect and human feel to the lines, shapes, and symbols.  These imperfections change the overall aesthetic drastically and are a main component in helping break away from the grid, visually.  While honey bees are incredible in their ability to create beautiful hexagonal geometric patterns, there's still a natural, lived-in feel to their creations, and *Mellifera* uses this organic quality as inspiration.

***


**High-Resolution Downloads**
* Press 1 for 3000 x 4500
* Press 2 for 6000 x 9000
* Press 3 for 9000 x 13500

See download limitations under Display Notes.

Mellifera

*NOTE: The first 46 minters (tokens #1-46) will receive The Rising Edition physical collection as a gift. Please see the end of the project description to learn more about this unique box set.*

As the temperature reads 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 Celsius), the hottest on record in the spot where I stand, my shoes are melting into the asphalt and my vision is blurred. I wonder how we got here from those rainy springs and where we will go. The heat’s visible haze makes me doubt the possibility of future Augusts spent outdoors. It is in this haze that *chaos comes with the summer haze* takes form. 

My inspiration is from both beauty and fear - the beauty of the land, the water, the flowers, the beauty of paint and code, the beauty of humanity – the fear of panic and mob mentalities, the fear of incongruity and environmental collapse, the fear of humankind. It is from the obsessiveness, visual overload, content overload, and our aching yet hopeful eyes as we stare towards the horizon.

*chaos comes with the summer haze* is specifically aligned with my art practice, which for decades has attempted to address technology, climate change, human irrationality and human rights, while being unencumbered by limitations of medium. Whether it is dragging paintings in the ocean, writing a new constitution, or encoding this Project, all have the same goal - creating impressions that are pleasing while acting as guideposts or warnings. Here, I’ve ratcheted up the intensity of everything. The breadth of coloration, brushstrokes and variety of possible outputs push dramatically in a way only possible through the generative process. Many times, I feel the code taking over the composition with the intent of heightening the chaos itself, perhaps adding an exclamation point to the warning therein.

Visually, it is symptomatic of both human and earthly chaos. The earthly ‘gestalts’ are the seas rising and the clouds gathering. The ‘meltdowns’ are the human brushstrokes that feel panicked, despite being controlled. They are haphazard, geometric and duplicative. They obscure reality. The handpicked colors touch the rainbow of possibilities, but are affected by that summer haze. The ‘shadow frequency’ demonstrates content overload, duplication and machine learning, all creating further feelings of distress.  There are layers and layers of possibilities – of coffee stains, of visual heat, of faces, of ideas, of dimensional portals, of the future...

*The Rising Edition* 

The first 46 minters (tokens #1-46) will receive *The Rising Edition* physical collection as a gift, which includes:

* A unique print of the minter’s piece, printed on archival Hahnemühle German etching paper, mounted on 16” x 12” (40.6 cm x 30.5 cm) varnished maple board, signed and titled on verso. 

* A sculpture featuring a porcelain blanketed rock - discovered, shaped and fired by the Artist. 

* A limited edition hardcover, linen wrapped visual compendium chronicling the conceptual theory and production of the work, signed and numbered.

Please visit the Project’s website for images of the Rising Edition and further details on the Project.

*Controls*

p - for a high resolution (6000 x 7200 pixels) printable version 
s - to save the image as a png file

chaos comes with the summer haze

Color Palette

Margin Width

Shadow

Friction

Flow

Gesture Length

This sale has a fixed price of {base_price} Ξ. Only allowlisted wallet addresses are allowed to purchase.

SKEUOMORPHS

itsgalo

x/300 remaining

Art Blocks is dedicated to bringing compelling works of contemporary generative art to life. We unite artists, collectors, and blockchain technology in service of groundbreaking artwork and remarkable experiences.

In Conversation with Galo Canizares (itsgalo)

Art Blocks in Paris: Our Highlights

Open Projects

SKEUOMORPHS

itsgalo

0.15 Ξ

257 / 300 remaining

Contrast Agent

Tim Richardson + Sean Zellmer

0.15 Ξ

288 / 300 remaining

Mellifera

artplusbrad

0.12 Ξ

182 / 222 remaining

chaos comes with the summer haze

Cole Sternberg

0.21 Ξ

92 / 163 remaining

In Conversation with Charlotte Dann on Ceramics

Want more? Read Spectrum, the journal of Art Blocks

Want more? Read Spectrum, the journal of Art Blocks

Want more? Read Spectrum, the journal of Art Blocks

Want more? Read Spectrum, the journal of Art Blocks

Want more? Read Spectrum, the journal of Art Blocks

Want more? Read Spectrum, the journal of Art Blocks

Want more? Read Spectrum, the journal of Art Blocks

Want more? Read Spectrum, the journal of Art Blocks

Want more? Read Spectrum, the journal of Art Blocks

Want more? Read Spectrum, the journal of Art Blocks

Want more? Read Spectrum, the journal of Art Blocks

Want more? Read Spectrum, the journal of Art Blocks

Want more? Read Spectrum, the journal of Art Blocks

Want more? Read Spectrum, the journal of Art Blocks

Want more? Read Spectrum, the journal of Art Blocks

Want more? Read Spectrum, the journal of Art Blocks

Want more? Read Spectrum, the journal of Art Blocks

Want more? Read Spectrum, the journal of Art Blocks

Want more? Read Spectrum, the journal of Art Blocks

Want more? Read Spectrum, the journal of Art Blocks

Art

Company

Learn