VOLUTE, by RVig on Art Blocks

Project description

Volute is the result of different stages of my experience in Generative Art over many years put together, drawing on early and new techniques plus my recent forays into long form generative art.

I set out to explore the essence of generative art, seeking, discovering, coaxing and exposing the variety of outputs from a simple system.

The soulless algorithm is counterbalanced by the exclusive use of colours from nature as prime sources. Brutal symmetries and complexities are softened by decentring and subtle layer transparencies. Pixel feedback loops generate radial symmetries and spirals, producing a variety of flower structures, volutes and arabesques. And when I view the results - their rhythm, their surprises, their flow - they justify for me my earlier choice of technical process.

My aim in Volute is to create, using gentle spiraling motion, the calming effect of marveling at flowers in nature.

Outputs

Here are some random generated outputs, without curation.

Story

The evolution of my work using spirals and pixel feedback loops over the last 20 years

2001-2002, experiments with pixel feedback loops. Laser print. This was raw CPU processing, at a resolution of - wait for it - 320x200 pixels.

2011, pixel feedback loops artworks with large spirals. The code now uses GPU with OpenGL, and can render real time animation as well as high resolution images for printing.

2017, pixel feedback loops, radial symmetries, local spirals.

2017, pixel feedback loops, radial symmetries.

Aug 2021, "Flowers" project, longform generation. Static, intersecting and over-layering curved shapes, NFT collection.

Nov 2021, "Nebula" project, longform generation. Dynamic and interactive, intersecting and over-layering curved shapes, vanilla JS, NFT collection.

Spring 2022, “Dualité” project, pixel feedback loops and spirals, static and dynamic outputs, NFT collection.

2022, “VOLUTE” project, longform generation, pixel feedback loops, local spirals, dynamic outputs, NFT collection.

I began this project in autumn 2021, after completing the release of my previous project, “Nebula”, also for Art Blocks.

“Flowers”, my first project on the platform, was also my first creation in long form generative art, made possible by the new paradigm of Art Blocks. I wrote a very short but proficient algorithm that was capable of generating a collection of thousands of attractive still images, that remained coherent while having wide variety. I also had to familiarise myself with the appropriate coding and execution environment, with which I had little experience (p5js in web browsers).

“Nebula” led me into exploring animated and interactive generative art, while keeping the concept around drawing thousands of intersecting and over-layering curved shapes. I also learned better how to use the environment, coding with pure vanilla JS and html canvas functionalities.

Thanks to these two experiences on the platform, the creative process on VOLUTE was particularly exciting. I made the decision to “take back” concepts and code I had created earlier in my career, and to rewrite it for the new environment with even newer technology (webgl2). This process turned out to be visually very rewarding - inspiring me to further evolve the algorithms to fit the creative ethos and breadth of opportunity of Art Blocks.

There then begins a long and fun phase of discoveries and experiences - analysing and selecting which ranges of parameters are to keep, completing and adjusting colour palettes, and working on contrasts, structure and composition, until the vision finally comes to life.

After that, comes a phase that can only be described as labour-intensive - hours of detailed refining, generating hundreds of outputs, testing to ensure the code is working properly across platforms, bug hunting, verifying that outputs are perfectly identical on every configuration and resolution, and finally refactoring the code so it’s clean and compact, ready to be stored on the blockchain.

So I’m now proud and happy to deliver the VOLUTE project on Art Blocks and share these swirling images with appreciators of generative art.

Most of the colour palettes are extracted from pictures of everyday life and nature, taken during happy moments of my own life: flowers while walking in a nearby park… the Rhône… holidays.