Pathfinders is an interactive generative drawing project. The script sets color palettes, brush textures, a unique avatar, and assorted start screen layouts from token data. When viewing Pathfinders, left-click the starting image to erase your canvas and watch the deterministically chosen brush trail across the screen. When you are satisfied with the output, left-click again to pause, right-click and save your image, then share your results with others.

Pathfinders

In this collection, each mark on the digital canvas is made by text of the algorithm that created it. When viewing Symbol 1, you’re viewing its code – logic becoming art.

If you look closely at an oil painting you may see brushstrokes. If you look closely at an iteration of Symbol 1, you'll see snippets of the code that generates the piece itself: text from for() loops repeated over and over; the Random() function itself weaving through the piece; and the hash code, like an artist signature, displayed on the bottom right.

Organic and mechanical forces have long been in tension in art and architecture. Art nouveau's floral  curves vs. art deco's industrial geometry, Jackson Pollock's declaration “I am nature” vs. Andy Warhol's confession “I want to be a machine,” etc.

This conversation continues in generative art. One collection might appear surprisingly organic, as if crafted by hand; another might appear strictly computer generated, showing the expressive power of machines.

Symbol 1 joins this conversation, offering another way to synthesize the natural and the mechanical. Just as a crashing ocean wave could be explained mathematically by the forces that generated it, an image in Symbol 1 appears almost chaotic while revealing the logic that created it.

About the title: Symbol 1 is a term from First Principles, a chapter in The Mathematical Analysis of Logic (1847) by George Boole, a founder of modern logic. For Boole, “symbol 1” represents “the Universe comprehending every conceivable class of objects, whether actually existing or not.”

Symbol 1

This series delves into a glitch style technique called pixel sorting, which is generally known to be used as a post-processing method in photography. Pixel sorting is a procedure that isolates segments of pixels and sorts their positions based on any number of criteria (i.e. luminosity, hue, saturation). 

Assorted Positivity is a generative approach to making pixel sorting art without any photographic base. The algorithm uses several types of noise to generate an initial design, each one unique to the token and specifically conducive to pixel-sorting. The sorting displaces pixels in various directions based on their grayscale value; and hues determine how the sorting ends. Sometimes the sorting lends itself to a sort of drip look and other times it presents itself as depth and shading.

This project was initially influenced by my desire to sort past the ubiquitous negativity online and focus on the positivity, generosity, and genuine thoughtfulness that I have witnessed around this genart space--with collectors, artists, and people who simply appreciate the community.

Integrated into each piece is an uplifting adjective that is visible, yet blended into the art. At a glance, the viewer may not notice the steganographic message that is conveyed by an international visual method of telegraphing words. Each word is one that I imagine being used to describe people in the community, their actions, artists, and/or their work.

Every output brings me joy, and is a reminder to treat others with kindness and positivity.

Watch as the pixels sort themselves out. 

Rendering is best viewed in Chrome on a desktop with a high end GPU.

A portion of the proceeds will go toward the international Make-A-Wish Foundation in the hopes of bringing some joy to critically ill children around the globe.

Assorted Positivity

The Quantum Collapses project is at the intersection of art, science, and technology. It is an ever-evolving, interactive journey in the Hilbert space, where quantum states live. The richness and mysteries of this space remind our unconscious mind.

25 years of passionate scientific research in the field of quantum optics led to this work as a tribute to the magic of quantum physics and the forthcoming quantum digital era.

Abstract expressionist paintings often depict imagined forms beyond the visible world. They emphasize free, spontaneous, and emotional expression of the artist, while Quantum Collapses aims to explore the unconscious mind and personal emotions of the viewer. During our artistic research, we found out the Hilbert space is populated by a variety of weird creatures, ghosts, landscapes... How they are perceived is purely a reflection of ourselves.

Each quantum superposition evolves in time, generating an unlimited flow of new shapes (no loop). You may interact with them in different ways, but doing so, according to the laws of quantum theory, will cause their collapse. Once you press [m], stay quiet if you don't wish to collapse them all. New artworks emerge from the interplay between the user, unitary evolution, and quantum randomness.

A LIVING ARTWORK
Quantum Collapses will undergo some evolutionary steps. At some point, all the outputs will display new animations on monthly basis. However, we believe in the power and beauty of memories and of history. It will always be possible to retrieve previous animations.

NOTES
The owners of the first 32 editions, minted after unpausing, can receive up to four additional signed prints of new images or grids of their edition chosen by them. Details can be found on the project website.

CONTROLS:
[mouse click]: Clicking on the shapes cause their collapse/reset
[mouse click]: Clicking on background toggles play/pause
[long press]: Hold mouse button down to reset all
[space] or [p]: Play/Pause
[i]: Reset all
[s]: Screenshot
[m]: Activates the microphone to enable interaction by sound

Quantum Collapses

Paths is an animated journey across various subterranean and aboveground environments. To fully experience the project, you need to see it in high resolution with a capable GPU. Make sure that your browser uses your dedicated graphics card if any, and that you get a good frame rate. Control keys: 1-4 (change speed), 9 (fill aspect ratio), 0 (original aspect ratio), space-bar (play/pause)

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Paths #357

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