Chimera is a mutation, its genetics a merging of past and present. 

New creative mediums almost always ingest those that came before. Pictograms and hieroglyphics turned into paintings, which eventually became moving images and photoreal graphics. Spoken words evolved into written text, eventually becoming complex screenplays, computer code, and a world of hyperlinks. Most mediums are not discarded, but combined or extended to incorporate new technology or ideas. 

When a new medium comes into existence, the capabilities of both the artist and viewer increase. The potential subjects within said medium can grow in complexity as well, some fully dependent on the medium that holds them. Other subjects are timeless, popping in and out of multiple movements and genres throughout history. An example of the latter is still life. From ancient carvings through contemporary art, scenes of commonality, beauty, and metaphor have persisted. Traditionally viewed as a type of technical practice or meditation (the bottom of the “hierarchy of genres”), some examples of still life have gone on to be among the most important works in art history. 

Chimera is a natural progression of still life. It is an old tradition in the very new medium of on-chain generative art, a movement that will have an enormous presence in the future. Chimera simultaneously reaches into the past while exploiting the capabilities of the present and seeks to represent a unique moment in time, a generation of art in between digital and physical realities, encapsulating where we came from and where we are going. 

NOTES:

Chimera is graphically intensive. Modern hardware is recommended. Ensure that your browser has hardware acceleration enabled.

The charitable portion of this release will be donated to various cancer research efforts.

CONTROLS:

“A”: Toggle animations
“R”: Toggle autorotation
“C”: Capture screenshot
“H”: Capture HD screenshot (CPU intensive) 

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Thank you to all that participate in, share, or otherwise support this release. It means more to me than I can say.

Chimera

Elementals is inspired by physical printmaking techniques and early Bauhaus principles. It starts with a few basic coloured shapes and arranges them in varying frequencies, sizes, and positions based on a unique transaction hash. Multiple overlaid variable grids allow for myriad layouts and opportunities for colour interaction. The goal is to create pieces that feel both intentional in composition and part of the same family.

Elementals

Ori is an art series that draws inspiration from paper folding to create deeply abstract and highly contrasting imagery. The loose interpretation of origami dynamics quickly dissolves as physical rules are bent and reimagined.

An artifact of this process is the distinctive fold lines, which symbolize the Yoshizawa-Randlett diagrams that serve as instructions for Origami. The practice of Kirigami (folding and cutting paper) is also represented and is occasionally visible as highly destructured forms.

Contrasting the precision of the folding engine is a spray paint simulation that gives the image its color. Paint is applied with a wandering nozzle, sometimes overflowing past boundaries and dripping downwards. Inspired by the freeform nature of graffiti, the spray paint layers are chaotic and unrefined.

Note: The spray paint simulation may take many seconds to fully render.

After the render is complete, press any key to destroy the artwork.

The Caretaker awakes. After a millennia of slumber it must again usher its minions into the expanse. It must sustain. It must replenish. So it guides its horde out to the stars, visiting countless worlds to restart the cycle. For an eternity the cycle has repeated, minding and tending this garden of worlds. Now it is time for the garden to give back. This event has come to be known as *The Harvest*.

*The Harvest* depicts worlds that exist in eternal symbiosis with the Caretaker. We witness the spectacle of monumental chromatic beams as they impact the surface of these beautiful, alien bodies. The Caretaker assigns different constellations to each planet, giving rise to unique combinations of beams as they extract the much needed nectar. This project has been inspired by a life-long fascination for science fiction and space exploration. Aiming to capture a moment of awe, the beams reach to their origin, emulating a cathedral-like atmosphere in the vein of Hugh Ferriss, while borrowing inspiration from Micheal Whelan’s landscapes. All in the effort of capturing a sense of how small we are in relation to the cosmos.

*The Harvest* is built on p5js, and takes advantage of its 3d api. With the orthogonal view enabled, the algorithm uses volumetric rectangular units to create the stylised illusion of alien landscapes. Each beam has a position, color, reach and yield that is calculated and procedurally drawn over time.

The Harvest

The universe in which we exist is an ever changing ebb and flow of energies that coalesce into observable patterns of repetition and harmony. By practicing mindfulness one can observe their part in this universal flux and achieve a powerful sense of connection to the whole.

Click / Touch to begin the audio-visual experience.

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