ÂPEX ~ is a generative landscape art project responding to the conditions of the Anthropocene, where the lines between what is possible and what is only imagined are constantly shifting.  Simplified circles give way to hyperreal spaces. It is unclear if at any point they resemble a landscape that one could actually inhabit.

At what point do abstract shapes start to resemble believable environments? Each viewer may experience this work differently, depending on where they draw the line between realism and abstraction, natural form, reality and fantasy.

While landscape art is traditionally understood to represent natural forms, it has become increasingly difficult to distinguish between the natural and manufactured. When the code runs its course and a static picture emerges, a thin barrier seems to be crossed.

The work tests out the limits between reality and hyperrealism, between abstraction and surrealism, blurring distinctions between them.

Created by Ori Ben Shabat & Ronen Tanchum

APEX

***"Ode to Untitled"***  is a culmination of inspiration from the color field and minimalist painters of the 20th century.  While my medium has changed from disc golf discs, to canvas, to digital canvas, to digital photography, and finally to code editor - the inspiration and output has remained abstract.  Seeing the works of Clyfford Still, Morris Louis, Agnes Martin, Barnett Newman, Mark Rothko, Ellsworth Kelly, Frank Stella, and Kenneth Noland (among others - hi Roy) seeded my desire to create visual art.

What many of these artists have in common, sometimes for differing reasons, was a fondness for naming their works *"Untitled"*.  Clyfford Still was entirely dedicated to this practice, while others came and went.  When other titles were used, often they were nondescript cataloging values or a rote description of the colors or shapes found in the work.  And, of course, abstract art history in general, and our current day, is littered with *"Untitled"* works.  Whether a desire to leave interpretation open to the viewer, not wanting to sully their visual work with words, a dedication to minimalism, or laziness - it's all fine with me.

While "Ode to Untitled" is not a direct reflection of any particular works, you will see influences shining through:  zips of color streaking across the canvas, an appreciation of the simple square and grids, a focus on texture, large fields of color, and a love of minimalism.  This one goes out to all the *"Untitled"* works.

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Ode to Untitled

A labyrinth of geometric specters. Shapes are painted between layers of fog and sometimes presented encased in bold frames. Shadows are cast to create depth and entice the viewer to step inside. Each invocation represents an imaginary room in an abstract maze-like building.

Labyrometry

**SCRIBBLINES** are a tribute to countless drawings that are being created every day during monotonous meetings and are forever lost in trash.

Almost everybody has experienced doodling (or scribbling) at some point in our lives to keep our brains active. The mental state of doodling is between awareness and daydreaming and is known to often inspire creative ideas. Studies have shown that this idle scribbling actually plays a significant part in helping a person concentrate and focus. 

There are many types of idle scribbles - *real world objects (e.g. houses, hearts), people, faces, squiggles, boxes and cubes, ladders and stairs, spider webs, triangles, swirls*, among others. "Scribblines" has always been my favorite idle drawing.  At the core of each piece is a pivot line, created by a random algorithm. This pivot line defines the shape of the entire art piece. Every additional line traces around the pivot line. Computer generated lines allow for perfecting what is never possible in the “pen and paper world” and thus make this, somewhat obsessive, exercise compelling to the perfectionist’s eye. All these become the basics for the Scribblines features.

**Precision**. Even with great effort it is hard to follow the outlines precisely. In scribblines, the lines precision varies from inaccurate (to simulate hand shaking micro movements) to robotically perfect precision.
**Determination**. In a real world environment it is unlikely to find enough time or perseverance to fill in the whole paper surface and finish these drawings. Due to this I chose most of the generated Scribblines to fill the whole screen. However some pieces are set to be finished as a 'bulk' shapes and not fill in the whole piece.
**Paper**. The backgrounds imitate typical types of paper in lighter or darker colour. There are few special 'sticky note' papers in the algorithm as well.
**Pen**. The most variability is produced by opening all possible pen options. Pen thickness can vary from "Rollerball - Ultra Fine" to "Marker - Extra Bold". The most variability is provided by variable line widths in one piece. Random line feature chooses from several line width possibilities for each single line. Thickening or thinning line features creates beautiful shapes with a fade-in or fade-out effect. A similar effect is achieved also by varying line color in some of the pieces.

Scribblines

Computational sigils for a digital altar. Patterns emerging from the vibrations of sound waves, seen but not heard.

Sigils #65.css-1wclmit{display:none;}@media (min-width: 768px){.css-1wclmit{display:inline;}} • .css-ymsk1t{white-space:nowrap;font-weight:400;}espina

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Sigils #65
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