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.

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Flux

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.

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.

Pre-Process

Para Bellum(*) is about the conflict of emotion and gut instinct versus logic and reason. 
Emotions are portrayed by color fields; logic is illustrated by words.
These two forces are fighting for dominance over the canvas.

Under the hood, ​​Para Bellum utilizes a thin language engine that was trained by reading dozens of books about rebellion and anarchy to generate (mostly) non-existent English phrases. An on-chain embedded font is used to render the familiar, readable letter shapes against the abstract fuzzy color fields.

(*) Para Bellum is half of the Latin phrase “Si vis pacem, para bellum”. If you want peace, prepare for war.

Para Bellum 

An exploration in generating forms in 3-dimensional space. This exclusive set of sculptures has been carved from a sea of infinite possibilities, much like a sculptor creates a singular reality from the potential in a block of stone. The shapes are illuminated by a variety of complex virtual lighting environments and yet the piece retains algorithmic minimalism with the code reduced to its pure essence -- 6370 bytes. Skulptuurs render in real time. In live view, the image keeps improving in quality. Keys 0-7 change speed: 0=Stop, 5=Default, 7=Fastest. Careful, requires a powerful machine. Requires a WebGL2-enabled browser.

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