Dreamy landscapes inspired by the Rockies. 50% of the minting proceeds for Speckled Summits will be donated to GiveWell's Maximum Impact Fund (https://www.givewell.org/maximum-impact-fund). Additionally, during the Dutch auction component of the release, any net proceeds above the 0.24Ξ ending mint price will be donated as part of this donation to GiveWell.

Speckled Summits

**sem·blance** (noun) – outward and often specious appearance or show.

Semblance explores experiences of the self as sculpted by context. At times, one can experience their private, most expansive self as their true self. In other moments, a performative cutout is needed to conform to one’s environment. Through its various manifestations, the work dwells on the tension between displaying the private self as a form of liberation, and amplifying the performative self as a form of suppression.

The collection draws inspiration from my childhood as an Indian-American growing up in Atlanta, where I felt pressure to conform to the cultural norms and expectations of those around me. This nurtured conflicting perceptions of my public and private identify – a dilemma depicted in Semblance through a reimagination of the weavings and textiles from my childhood home.

Each Semblance is a unique blend of color, diffusion, and environment. Its appearance is shaped by the suppression of a distinct focal point that dictates its context. Ultimately, the viewer is invited to toggle between the two states and explore that tension within themselves.

**–– Controls ––**

– **Press ‘m’** or **click/tap** to toggle between the selves. The output may take many seconds to load.

– **Press ‘s’** to save a .png.

Semblance

An interactive experience inspired by the classic breakout game. Destroy all the orbiting barriers and reach the core, while creating your own unique melody. Controls: Click to start. Left and right arrow keys or Mouse/trackpad to control the baton. P to pause. Look out for power-ups!

celestial cyclones

Neophyte MMXXII is my ode to the computational beauty of nature. Generative plants grow from nothingness, bloom, fade away, and regrow anew. Each NFT produces a unique species of simulated plant life, and new varieties within that species arise over time. 

The emergent qualities of the genetic code cause Neophyte to ebb and flow between stability and unpredictability. Long term observation is rewarded, as the longest cycles take several hours to complete. These qualities combined, result in artworks which may be cyclical and relatively stable, or may never repeat themselves. 

Neophyte MMXXII is the culmination of an artistic inquiry spanning ten years, five software development environments, and a dozen artworks. If you’d like to learn more about this history, please visit my website.


A note to collectors: 

Collectors of the first 25 editions to be minted may request a signed 19.5x12" (50x30cm) printed circuit board artwork commemorating the release of Neophyte MMXXII at no additional charge. See @sterlingcrispin on Twitter or sterlingcrispin.com for more details.

Neophyte MMXXII is released under the NFT license 2.0, so collectors are free to make prints of their token, and commercialize them within limits. See the NFT license for details.

Neophyte MMXXII

From the Insecta Class and Apidae Family, we find the Species Apis Mellifera: the western honey bee.  One of the more iconic aspects of honey bees is their hive, the hexagonal grid we call honeycomb; an efficient use of resources and space, and a beautiful representation of a geometric shape found in nature.

The humble grid has also been a mainstay of generative art from its earliest days.  Code up a loop or two and see what you can do.  What I've done with grids has been seen in many of my projects over the past year; in *Polka*, *Over the Air*, *Ode to Untitled*, and now *Mellifera*.  Breaking from the rectangular and square grid, and embracing the complexities of the hexagonal grid, *Mellifera* creates patterns working within the points and sides of a hexagon while laying out those patterns across a honeycomb like structure.

While working through this series of grid based projects, one main area of study has been finding ways to move off the grid, at least in appearance.  A recent move to a rural home has left me much more off the grid, and there's been a parallel through my projects.  Increasingly, I've explored ways to make the overall aesthetic not appear grid-like, to have a more organic feel, all the while though still centering elements perfectly in their place across the grid.  *Mellifera*, with its use of hexagons, imperfections, unique symbols, rotation, and negative space, is another step in this evolution, and the largest one yet.

While most of my work has embraced the digital and machine-like feel that computers and code are so easily capable of (again influenced from my appreciation of Roy), *Mellifera* moves in a new direction, introducing a more imperfect and human feel to the lines, shapes, and symbols.  These imperfections change the overall aesthetic drastically and are a main component in helping break away from the grid, visually.  While honey bees are incredible in their ability to create beautiful hexagonal geometric patterns, there's still a natural, lived-in feel to their creations, and *Mellifera* uses this organic quality as inspiration.

***


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Art Blocks Presents

Speckled Summits #43

Jake Rockland

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