All are available as 42x42cm signed prints. Versatiles 1-100 and 5 special editions were also minted on Versum.xyz (Versum went down in 2023). These are still visible on objkt
About
This series of works is the continuation of the TXTILES series I made for the NFT platform Hic et Nunc. I used the same Processing sketch, my Behringer midi-controller and my 3 custom fonts (HSP1,2,3) to paint with words or even random strings of characters on a square canvas. The only difference is the output. Versatiles are also made to be printed 42 x 42 cm. An artist proof was printed shortly after they were generated.
The different series were made in 2022 (1-100 + 4) and 2023 (from 101 onwards).
Musical sessions
The two series are created in sessions. I consider the whole setup, the code I write in Processing and especially the interaction with my own code through the use of the midi-controller, as something that could be compared to a session of improvisational music making. Once the code runs and I start to turn the knobs of the midi-controller and push buttons on my keyboard while staring at the square canvas on my screen, it feels much like playing an instrument. It's improvisational because I never want to create a particular image. I just want to create an image with the instrument I made. It's a performative act. I can change the words, the colors, the speed, the angle, the scale and can even add other parameters during the process. Just by clicking the S button is enough to save a high resolution image of what is on my screen at that particular moment.
Ongoing selections
During such a session I often save a whole lot of images. Even if I set the speed of the moving lines of characters low, I really have to act quick to make sure I save an image at the right moment. Sometimes I save to early, sometimes to late. I only look very briefly at the results when a session is over. It's the days after that I really want to have a look at the results.
The selection of the images I want to show (print or mint) can take days, weeks or even months. Some images surprise me immediately, other are discarded quickly, a lot are in between. While this period of selection can take awhile, I constantly try to remind myself that I always can put the instrument on again and start a new session with exactly the same parameters and create a whole new set of maybe 'better' images.
Playful moods
The resulting images are there in the first place because I created them. As a result of my playful moods. Just because I can. The endless amount of them, can only be generated with the help of a computer. It's exactly that possiblity to generate almost endless variations of the same, that makes it so attractive, addictive and probably dangerous. The aim is to get lost in parameters paradise without losing myself. And never forget that I probably want to show the results to other people. So while playing avoid that risk of, just like a musician, getting too wild in the endless possibilities of note sequences.
Digital 'woven' patterns
Of course, by their nature, these images also refer to the applied art of weaving. There is a historical link between the technology of looms and computers. It is no coincidence too that computer-generated, abstract images, quickly evoke associations with all kinds of decorative, folk traditions and techniques.
Certain bits of code in the instructions of these works are also explicitly written to emphasise that association with textiles. Yet no attempt was ever made to create an exact photographic illusion of textiles. Up close, it is always very clear that these are plain digital patterns.
Session 1 - 13/1/22: Versatiles V1-2 Versatile #1,
Versatile #2
Strings used:
"Versum", "v e r s u m VERSUM vvveeerrrssuumm ", "vevrvevsusmsusmsusrsesvsesrsueumumu mumummuuruueuuruueu ruueu ru euru s sver"
Made especially for the launch of the Versum platform in 2022. I adapted the TXTILE sketch to generate large resolution outputs.
Session 2 - 30/1/22: Versatiles V3-17 Versatile #3,
Versatile #4,
Versatile #5,
Versatile #6,
Versatile #7,
Versatile #8,
Versatile #9,
Versatile #10,
Versatile #11,
Versatile #12,
Versatile #13,
Versatile #14,
Versatile #15,
Versatile #16,
Versatile #17
Strings used:
"I n a he roic ba ttle with a fat f lu I am listenin g to t he d ar k si de of t he mo on wh ile min ting and sw apping gh osts.In a he r o ic batt le wi th a fat flu I a m listen ing to the dark side of the moon while mintingand swapping ghosts. In a heroic battle with a fat flu I am listening to the dark side of t he moonwhile minting and swapping ghosts. In a heroic battle with a fat flu I am list ening to the dark side of the moon while minting and swapping ghosts. In a heroic battle with a fat flu I am listening to the dark side of the moon while minting and swapping ghosts. In a heroic battle with a fat flu I am listening to the dark side of t he moon while minting and swapping ghosts. In a heroic battle with a fat flu I am listening to the dark side of the moon while minting and swapping ghosts.", "the dark side of the moon"
The only session with a black background. The character strings are also much longer.
In this session I only used 3 colors (red, yellow and bleu). In combination with a bit of white and black, I was pleasanltly surprised how these three colors blend into much more colors (green, purple, orange) at a certain distance. With your nose on top you only see the three basic colors, from a distance much more colors seem to appear. The effect is even more visible when they are printed on paper.
Event session 1 - 26/2/22: V-UA V-UA
Strings used:
"За Україну", "For Ukraine", " ua ua ua ua ua ua ", "UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"
За Україну (For Ukraine) ------------ This artwork is a fundraising effort to support victims of the Ukraine invasion. 100% of proceeds go directly to a smart contract which will distribute the funds to non-military non-profit organizations helping citizens of Ukraine.
Session 6 - 28/4/22: Versatiles V61-70 Versatile #61,
Versatile #62,
Versatile #63,
Versatile #64,
Versatile #65,
Versatile #66,
Versatile #67,
Versatile #68,
Versatile #69,
Versatile #70
Strings used:
"The Tickle Tile", "The Tickle Tile The Tickle Tile The Tickle Tile The Tickle Tile The Tickle Tile The Tickle Tile The Tickle Tile The Tickle Tile The Tickle Tile The Tickle Tile The Tickle TileThe Tickle TileThe Tickle TileThe Tickle TileThe Tickle TileThe Tickle TileThe Tickle Tile The Tickle Tile The Tickle Tile The Tickle Tile The Tickle Tile The Tickle Tile The Tickle Tile The Tickle Tile The Tickle Tile The Tickle Tile The Tickle Tile The Tickle Tile The Tickle Tile The Tickle Tile The Tickle Tile The Tickle Tile The Tickle Tile The Tickle Tile The Tickle Tile The Tickle Tile The Tickle Tile The Tickle Tile The Tickle Tile"
Since I was invited for an appearance in the magnificent 'The Tickle' magazine, I created this first series by using the characters in the title of the magazine.
Made with the session 7 sketch. Here the goal was to create Versatiles to be given away to all subscribers of 'The Tickle'.
A special edition on the occasion of my contribution to The Tickle #47. The fabulous weekly zine for contemporary digital art & creative writing.
Event session 3 - 12/2/23: V-TRSY V_TRSY Strings used:
"Tezquake", "Türkiye ve Suriye için", "tttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt", "QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQq QQQQQqqQQ"
A humble fundraising effort to support victims affected by the recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria. Proceeds go directly to a smart contract which will distribute the funds to non-military non-profit organizations.
Not sure I used this string also for the first 5. I modified the code slightly and made some tests with 3 colors (red, green, yellow), before I added the ten colors I picked from the Georges Cuisinaire box I recieved as a present from a collector.
Here I used the so-called 10 thunder words that appear in Finnegans Wake by James Joyce. I first made a few balck and white pieces and than switched to the Georges Cuisinaire colors.
Using the same 'web' colors as the event session 4, and almost the same strings and spacing. The difference lays in the way I turn the knobs of the midi-controller. Sometimes I change the ranges for the knobs in my code, but often I forget how. I tend to get hypnotized pretty fast once I start to look at the screen. And then I just play.
