Casey REAS

Ways of knowing...
Ways of seeing…

I can trace the origin of *Pre-Process* back to a Saturday afternoon in 2003 when I was sketching—first on paper, and then with code. I began by drawing circles, then connecting their center points, and then placing the circles in motion as coded animation. At that time, I was focused on *ideas* and not *images*—specifically, on dynamic systems and the ways a set of elements relate to each other within an imagined environment. I was working through questions about how to experience these systems and what might be an ideal (or interesting) way to engage with them. 

The ideas and code from this session later became the core of much of my subsequent work: including the foundation for the *Process* series of software, prints, and installations and the more recent *Process Compendium* works. *Pre-Process* pulls these origin points back into focus, develops them with what I’ve learned in the intervening years, and puts them on the blockchain to be archived. I consider the project a Rosetta Stone for my practice. It asks fundamental questions about the relationships between process and end result, including: Where is the aesthetic focus of a generative system? Is it deep within the code or within the picture the system creates?

Ultimately, *Pre-Process* emphasizes experiencing the origin of the system and then transitioning with it as it seeks, but never finds, equilibrium. The system is built around Element 1, the first that I created for the *Process* series:

*Element 1: Form 1 + Behavior 1 + Behavior 2 + Behavior 3 + Behavior 4
Form 1: Circle
Behavior 1: Move in a straight line
Behavior 2: Constrain to surface
Behavior 3: Change direction while touching another Element
Behavior 4: Move away from an overlapping Element*

*Pre-Process* is the origin of a long journey that I’m still on. It continues to ask essential questions and to encourage me to explore possibilities. Through it, I came to realize that I was ultimately more a picture-maker than a conceptual artist, or, the way I like to think about it,  I’m a “conceptual artist” with a small ‘c.’ I want the energy to be with the system (the ideas) *and* the surface (the picture) in equal measure. More directly, the work exists *between* the instructions, the performance and interpretation of the instructions, and the resulting images.

Surface

Origin

Growth

This descending auction has a start time of {start_time} at the price of {start_price} Ξ and will exponentially decrease until the resting price of {base_price} Ξ is met.

Pre-Process

# Yuccas and Boxes
One of the things I took away from my summer trip to Marfa was the need to spend more time absorbing my surroundings and thinking back on my experiences. Witnessing the vast fields of yuccas flowering simultaneously and watching the sunrise over Judd's 100 untitled works in mill aluminum are two specific moments that will never leave my memory. Combining these two sensations resulted in generative arrangements of yuccas and boxes.
## Edge of the desert
The city of Marfa is on the northeast side of the Chihuahuan desert. The weather is dry and hot in the summer. Plants that grow naturally in the region, like the yucca, have adapted well to the harsh conditions.
## Soaptrees
In the Americas, there are a lot of different types of yucca. The type of yucca that grows in and around Marfa is called yucca elata, which is also known as the soaptree yucca. These yuccas grow very slowly, only about an inch per year. Yucca elata doesn't always bloom, but when it does, the flowers come out between May and June.
## Sunrise at Chinati
The Chinati Foundation is a museum in Marfa based on Donald Judd's ideas. The focus is on works that have a strong connection to the land around them. Sometimes a special event called "Sunrise at Chinati" is held at the museum so that people can see the many works in the golden light of the morning sun.
# An SVG is available!
The SVG is a fully scalable resolution agnostic version of the image. To access the SVG press the "p" key and the SVG will automatically download.

Marfa Yucca

Since founding Art Blocks in 2020, artist Erick Calderon (a.k.a. Snowfro) has been intrigued by the idea of representing digital artwork in the physical world in the form of an ephemeral physical object with meaning, but with no inherent value. 

Donald Judd has long been an inspiration for Art Blocks. One aspect we admire most about Judd’s artistic practice is the elegance of design he effortlessly paired with the accessibility of materials that could be found at a hardware store. With Judd as inspiration, we hatched a plan to create a unique generative art friendship bracelet that includes instructions to make, in minutes, a simple bracelet using a few dollars’ worth of embroidery floss. Donald Judd believed that what surrounds us in our day-to-day life is already so beautiful, and that ultimately the experience of creating art is as important as owning it.

Erick was incredibly excited to collaborate with renowned artist Alexis André (a.k.a. MacTuitui) to bring generative art and ephemeral physical objects together in the form of friendship bracelets. Conceptualized by Erick and aesthetically and programmatically designed by Alexis, this project pairs creative coding with a beautiful spectrum of embroidery floss colors. The project was a true team effort, as each member of the Art Blocks team designed and named their own color palette!

The project is a token of our appreciation to the creators, makers, builders, and collectors who have all contributed to making the Art Blocks community what it is today. Participating in this project is a signal, both online and IRL, that you’re a participant in this evolution of art + community. You are pushing the best ideas forward. You are the reason all of these imaginative projects come to life. Our community is what makes all of this possible. So, to say it plainly, we appreciate you, and we hope that you’ll accept this bracelet as a token of our special friendship!

The owner of any wallet with an Art Blocks piece at the time of snapshot (October 26, 2022, at 3pm US Central time) is eligible to claim two mints from this special generative art project. We would love to see you keep one bracelet and share your love for generative art by gifting your second mint! These mints are free to claim (you pay only the gas) and exist on L1 Ethereum. Please note that we may in the future release additional modified iterations of the Friendship Bracelets project, ideally on an L2 scaling solution, that may substantially increase the total supply of tokens related to the project, with the intent of being a more accessible entry point to a larger audience. But this version is what we're here to celebrate today, and this gift is for you in gratitude for your support along the way. Please enjoy this token of our friendship and explore the wonderful artwork created by Alexis André. Then, let's all make bracelets together! 

Warmly,
Alexis + Erick + the Art Blocks team



The claim window expires on January 10, 2023, at noon US Central time.

Click into the Display Notes for information about making your bracelet.

Friendship Bracelets

inward 🌹 outward
shrinking 🌹 growing
splitting 🌹 merging
suggesting 🌹 negating

Intersections

Drifting apart as the little islands that we are, you may ask yourself
_What is bigger - the inner space or the outer?_

This project was inspired by the multitudes we keep within us. The harsh shadows and the combination of pure 2d rendering with a 3d effect mimic feelings of separation from the rest of the world. Their undetermined scale reflects the seemingly unlimited depths of consciousness.

_The Inner World_ starts its rendering from one or more circular cores representing the centers of our personalities. Each of these cores spawns various thoughts and emotions, flowing as tendrils through the scene, making connections among themselves or reaching for the outside. Their movement ranges from straight and orderly to (seemingly) chaotic, sometimes twisting the clean underlying personality center into a completely different shape. Two rendering styles (illustrative and shaded) with palettes ranging from cool, gloomy and serious to cheerful or dramatic reflect the variety of predispositions.

While waiting for the rendering to complete, look at the focus animation highlighting the circular cores of your piece. You're invited to spend this time pondering how everything you know, everything you have or will ever experience, and even the most majestic sights from stars to microbes fit into the space between your ears.

The Inner World

Maya Man is an artist whose work considers the computer screen a space for intimacy and performance, focusing on the phenomenon of translating our offline selves into on-screen content. Working primarily with custom software, she comments on internet culture by algorithmically remixing and collaging it into her own websites, generative systems, and installations. I had the pleasure of speaking with Maya in advance of her upcoming Art Blocks project FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT.

In Conversation with Maya Man

It's Miami Art Week and we can’t wait for you to join us!

Art Blocks × Miami Art Week 2022

Art Blocks Curation Board members are responsible for reviewing, critiquing, and selecting Art Blocks projects to be included in Art Blocks’ Curated Collection. The Curated Collection comprises a group of projects that have been recognized for significant accomplishment in aesthetics, conceptual rigor, technical quality, and innovation.

Pre-Process

Casey REAS

11/30/2022, 6:00 PM UTC

Edition of 120

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 Maya Man

Art Blocks × Miami Art Week 2022

It's Miami Art Week and we can’t wait for you to join us!

Open Projects

Marfa Yucca

Daniel Calderon Arenas

Free

Open algorithmic edition

Friendship Bracelets

Alexis André

Free

Open algorithmic edition

Intersections

Rafaël Rozendaal

0.2 Ξ

92 / 300 remaining

The Inner World

Dominikus

0.1 Ξ

117 / 400 remaining

Meet the Art Blocks Curation Board

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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

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