*Arcadia* is a homage to the fridge-worthy landscape art of our youth. Childhood techniques of creating art are re-imagined by the scribbles of a nostalgic, computer-assisted mind.

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Arcadia

Exhibit 3291 is an ode to the Bauhaus art and design philosophy and style. The Bauhaus design movement started in the early 20th century by Walter Gropius. Bauhaus art and design is recognized by its unique approach to architecture and design noted especially for a program that synthesizes technology, craftsmanship, and design aesthetics. The Bauhaus style is recognized by it's simplicity, pure lines, and geometric shapes, combined with primary-colored chromatic palettes. 

Exhibit 3291 (E.3291) humbly and with honor continues in this timeless tradition. Each mint embraces “ little ornamentation and focuses on balanced forms and abstract shapes ', Exhibit 3291 takes its cue from the classic 1923 Bauhaus Exhibition poster. Using this composition as a template, E.3291 generates unique pieces of art steeped in the Bauhaus tradition. Each E.3291 has a color scheme and variations on the template, including additional lines, shapes and outlines. 

It is my hope that as a collector you feel part of this historic art and design movement.

To request a print, please visit https://www.cryptobauhaus.com/exhibit-3291

Exhibition: 3291

CryptoVenetians are a limited release algorithmically generated pixel art collection based on real characters from Venice, CA. Available only to visitors of the Bright Moments physical NFT gallery, CryptoVenetians grant holders exclusive access to IRL events and experiences in Los Angeles. With over 200,000 possible combinations, CryptoVenetians represent the diversity of Venice Beach.

CryptoVenetian

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 \__ \ ' <| _|| |_| | (_) | |\/| | (_) |   /  _/ __ \__ \
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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.

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

SKEUOMORPHS

*NOTE: The first 46 minters (tokens #1-46) will receive The Rising Edition physical collection as a gift. Please see the end of the project description to learn more about this unique box set.*

As the temperature reads 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 Celsius), the hottest on record in the spot where I stand, my shoes are melting into the asphalt and my vision is blurred. I wonder how we got here from those rainy springs and where we will go. The heat’s visible haze makes me doubt the possibility of future Augusts spent outdoors. It is in this haze that *chaos comes with the summer haze* takes form. 

My inspiration is from both beauty and fear - the beauty of the land, the water, the flowers, the beauty of paint and code, the beauty of humanity – the fear of panic and mob mentalities, the fear of incongruity and environmental collapse, the fear of humankind. It is from the obsessiveness, visual overload, content overload, and our aching yet hopeful eyes as we stare towards the horizon.

*chaos comes with the summer haze* is specifically aligned with my art practice, which for decades has attempted to address technology, climate change, human irrationality and human rights, while being unencumbered by limitations of medium. Whether it is dragging paintings in the ocean, writing a new constitution, or encoding this Project, all have the same goal - creating impressions that are pleasing while acting as guideposts or warnings. Here, I’ve ratcheted up the intensity of everything. The breadth of coloration, brushstrokes and variety of possible outputs push dramatically in a way only possible through the generative process. Many times, I feel the code taking over the composition with the intent of heightening the chaos itself, perhaps adding an exclamation point to the warning therein.

Visually, it is symptomatic of both human and earthly chaos. The earthly ‘gestalts’ are the seas rising and the clouds gathering. The ‘meltdowns’ are the human brushstrokes that feel panicked, despite being controlled. They are haphazard, geometric and duplicative. They obscure reality. The handpicked colors touch the rainbow of possibilities, but are affected by that summer haze. The ‘shadow frequency’ demonstrates content overload, duplication and machine learning, all creating further feelings of distress.  There are layers and layers of possibilities – of coffee stains, of visual heat, of faces, of ideas, of dimensional portals, of the future...

*The Rising Edition* 

The first 46 minters (tokens #1-46) will receive *The Rising Edition* physical collection as a gift, which includes:

* A unique print of the minter’s piece, printed on archival Hahnemühle German etching paper, mounted on 16” x 12” (40.6 cm x 30.5 cm) varnished maple board, signed and titled on verso. 

* A sculpture featuring a porcelain blanketed rock - discovered, shaped and fired by the Artist. 

* A limited edition hardcover, linen wrapped visual compendium chronicling the conceptual theory and production of the work, signed and numbered.

Please visit the Project’s website for images of the Rising Edition and further details on the Project.

*Controls*

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Arcadia #229

Zachariah Watson

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