A Map is a score for a new world...
 
Maps is a generative script stored on the blockchain. Each mint generates a unique svg using a seed hash.
 
The initial inspiration for Maps was the idea that graphic notation can create a variety of different outputs for music.
 
This led to using sprites, a form of graphic notation that gives a sense of how things move without being animated, as the layout to explore each world. 
 
Each Map uses variable colors and patterns to generate different environments. By mixing 10 different elements, new biomes are named ( i.e. scorched forest, dune ocean, etc… )
 
These environmental elements are represented by color ( HSL ). different base and accent environments were picked to be mixed and matched freely. 
 
Maybe an NFT can be an instruction for something non-digital, too… The different colors are also matched with pantone chips so that each SVG can be easily printed.
 
The method for generating the pattern is called dithering, which is both inherently as much a digital process ( i.e. bitmapping ) as it is a physical one ( i.e. halftone ). The script uses a modified Floyd–Steinberg dither algorithm to approximate the light between each pixel and create unique patterns.

Maps

An unknown illness has struck the world and is spreading rapidly. Humanity enters quarantine while the world's greatest scientists get to work on finding a cure. As you look upon samples through the microscope glass, you can't help but wonder what horrors you're about to witness. What is it? Where did it come from? How far has it progressed? Do we even have a chance?

Quarantine

A geometric composition of a contrasting middle "heart" and an outer "soul". The seed of the symmetrical heart is broken into varying amount of chambers that are calculated to keep its corridors at the exact constant width in order to preserve its rigid mathematical character, yet provide enough space for variety for interesting geometrical patterns. The composition is balanced by a contrasting loose intertwining soul spreading to the borders of the passepartout that, along with the lining, give the piece a feeling of antiqueness. Heart and soul may also contain anomalies and unusual palettes. 

a heart and a soul

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░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
  ___ _  _____ _   _  ___  __  __  ___  ___ ___ _  _ ___ 
 / __| |/ / __| | | |/ _ \|  \/  |/ _ \| _ \ _ \ || / __|
 \__ \ ' <| _|| |_| | (_) | |\/| | (_) |   /  _/ __ \__ \
 |___/_|\_\___|\___/ \___/|_|  |_|\___/|_|_\_| |_||_|___/

░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░

```

A skeuomorph is a derivative object that retains ornamental design cues from structures that were necessary in the original. They are used widely in architecture, product design, and perhaps most familiarly in user interfaces. Think: desktop icons like trash cans or notepads. SKEUOMORPHS is a meditation on this digital tradition. 

SKEUOMORPHS picks up where RASTER left off as an another exploration of the materiality of pixels and rasterized imagery. Here the study of pixels narrows in on the shallow depth of on-screen interfaces and the play of low-res figure-ground effects. Moments of skeuomorphism where the 2-dimensional plane of the screen becomes slightly 3-dimensional through beveling or drop-shadows are extracted and used as abstract painterly details. These elements that are typically used to make computation and interfaces more familiar become unfamiliar on the canvas, suggesting the possibility of an aesthetic between abstraction and realism.

SKEUOMORPHS employs recurring themes and techniques from my art practice: limited color palettes, low-res chunky pixels, dithering, and physics simulation. It uses a specific kind of dithering called R-sequence dither developed by Martin Roberts. Like traditional Bayer matrix-based dithering, this technique produces a patterned image akin to retro video games and early computer screens. In this project, the R-dither pattern results in a woven textile-like texture, which recalls the long relationship between computing and weaving. The canvas negotiates two scales simultaneously: that of the dithered pixel (rendered at 1/1024th of the canvas height) and the simulated particle that acts as a brush stroke (rendered at 1/256th of the canvas height). The two resolutions work together to produce a cohesive texture that is neither pretending to be a retrograde screen nor an analog material but something in between. Similar to RASTER, the goal is to investigate new avenues for digital aesthetics that rely on a combination of historical techniques and innovative practices.

Use mouse or touch controls to interact.
Press 's' to grab a still frame.

Collectors will be eligible to receive a signed archival giclée print of their mint.

SKEUOMORPHS

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

Art Blocks Presents

Maps #81

john provencher

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Owen Moore

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Roman Janajev

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