I’ve always been drawn to landscapes in art. One of the first pieces I ever bought was Broken Ground by Emma Stibbon RA–an intaglio print depicting the aftermath of seismic activity in Hawaii.
When I first came across Meridian in early 2022, I immediately thought of sweeping aerial views of dramatic terrain: mountains fading into mist, vibrant rock formations, and topographical surveys. It was entirely my thing, but at the time, it felt out of reach.
My entry into NFTs began when a friend added me to a few Discord “alpha” groups in late 2021. Most were flipping PFPs (badly), and one opened an #art-blocks channel in early 2022. I remember people reminiscing about minting and flipping Fidenzas, Ringers, and Meridians during that fabled summer of 2021.
By then, I was late to the party and only minting smaller fxHash projects for around $10…so Art Blocks felt miles beyond my comfort zone. I admired from afar.
Fast forward to January 2023: I bought my first CryptoCitizen and attended my first Bright Moments meetup in London. Folks like ICON, the gracious host, had Meridian among their top collections.
Someone mentioned a book launch was coming, so I picked up a copy online when it went on sale in February and brought it to the event in East London that March.
March 2023 was a turning point in my collecting journey. After finding my tribe through Bright Moments, I minted Metropolis by mpkoz IRL: my first generative art mint on Ethereum, and a magical experience. A few days later, I attended Tyler Hobbs’ Mechanical Hand opening at Unit London and Matt’s Meridian book launch, both on the same night.
These events were an “ah ha” moment for me. The first times that I’d seen any gen art at large scale and with such fantastic quality. I was blown away. I got Matt to sign my book and, after experiencing the detail up close, I just knew I had to at least get a print some day.
The first works of Matt’s that I collected were actually not Meridian, but the Sierra print with Avant Arte and three mints of his Filigree collection with The Disruptive Gallery in early 2024.
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| Filigree #17, #38 and #69 by Matt DesLauriers, Disruptive Gallery, 2024. | ||
By November 2024, I found myself in Marfa. After an eight-hour art-fueled road trip with Shamrock—including “top 5 collections” debates (mine: Meridian #1, of course)—I spent the weekend with Blockbird (a self-professed Matt-maxi) and Durtis. Marfa has a way of recharging your collecting spirit.
Outside Glitch Gallery, chatting with Greekdx, thefunnyguys, and Derek Edwards, I mentioned a recently listed Newsprint Meridian that seemed criminally underpriced. There are only 12 Newsprint style Meridians, and they stand apart: monochrome, architectural, almost collage-like. I’d always loved the Prismatic style, but this felt special.
Encouraged by those collectors, all with incredible taste, I took the leap. It stretched my comfort zone, but it was worth it.
A few months earlier, Meridian #505 had caught my eye when it was briefly listed in May. I was on the lookout for prismatics, but after the April market dip, I played it slow with low bids.
While Prismatic is the second most common style, it’s arguably the most iconic: the variety of hues feels alive, evoking rock strata, hourglass sand art, and alien landscapes. The greens, pinks, and blues of #505 felt lush, coastal, and serene. The composition had balance and depth.
When the listing expired, I combed through all 262 Prismatics, and #505 remained my favorite. I couldn’t get it out of my mind. After months of bids, the owner finally accepted. Picking a favorite NFT is like picking a favorite child, but #505 is right up there.
While I was lusting after #505 and frustrated at not being able to get it, I kept an eye on the floor…and luck struck when #176 appeared well below the collection and prismatic floors. It was a fiery, saturated Prismatic, different from #505’s calm palette but just as striking. Naturally, I grabbed it.
Meridian exemplifies how generative art can explore infinite variations within a theme. From density to palette to composition, there’s something for everyone.
Even now, I check in almost daily, discovering new outputs like #195 and #117: very different from mine but equally mesmerizing, each one proof of Matt’s mastery of the algorithm.
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Four years after Meridian’s release, it stands tall in the pantheon of iconic Art Blocks collections. It's still my personal favorite and, in my humble opinion, is one of if not the best, technically, aesthetically and conceptually of the static image output gen art collections.
I often display them on my projector at home, however their most striking form is in large scale print and I need to make the difficult decision of which size to get when I get around to ordering mine. Grand vistas deserve grand scale, right?
