fxGems #17 ⏀ Abstract Honorable Mentions from Dec. 2021 - Part II
Even though generative art has been around for decades, it's just beginning to plumb the depths of everything that's possible with code. Below are some projects from its current renaissance to inspire you for where it could go.
fxGems is curated by Haiver. Follow on Twitter and Mastodon for recommendations, and sign up for email notifications for when a new issue drops. To support the work, collect a copy of this issue on fx(text) or past issues, or consider minting one of my generative pieces on fx(hash).
With 3622 projects released in December 2021, it's impossible for every good generative art project to fit in the fxGems Best of Lists for abstract and representational art, so the Honorable Mentions was born. And there are many possible reasons a project ended up in the Honorable Mentions instead of on a Best of List. There wasn't enough variety across the minted pieces, or some of the layouts were strong but other mints could have used more self-awareness between their parts. The piece was well executed but lacked originality, or the piece was original but lacked execution. Or there were a limited number of color palettes when the project would have really shone with a few more.
Or perhaps the artist still has room to grow, but we should start rooting for them now. The algorithm needed to be pushed further, techniques stacked together, or the process used made less obvious (I'm looking at you flow fields). Or they're using a library with such a distinctive look, like Hydra, that the project struggles to stand out from the crowd. And then there are the artists who had a stronger piece make the fxGems Best of List this month and we're trying to spread the love around instead of having the same few names appear repeatedly at the top (but don't want you to miss a very fun piece either!).
It's important to note that fxGems is not a ranked list. One part of good curation is putting pieces in conversation with one another, so each numbered mint featured here has been carefully selected, then ordered into groups of twos and threes to create a dialogue between the different projects. There are juxtapositions and echoes, recurring themes and visual motifs. A thread has been woven throughout. How it draws you from one project to the next is up to you to find.
As always, this issue is available to view on fx(text), especially good for those animated pieces. And if you're looking for more recommendations, check out the representational Best of Lists, the four part abstract Best of List, and the multiple issues gathering all of the many Honorable Mentions, covering December 2021.
other.places by markknol
Rectangles:Processor by artefakt
Etch A Text by jambonbill
Vapor Glitch (Ghost In The Noise) by nudoru
Coalesce by Liam Egan
Quatre Quart by Laurent Houdard
Echos by ippsketch
Abstraction VI by lomz
Miroïds by Shinzo Noda
Future City by eeeeeee
Interactions [SVG] by ge1doot
![Interactions [SVG] #85](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff4cceece-394f-4ab6-bfb7-b73da58c8fc5_1024x1024.webp "Interactions [SVG] #85")
plot(sin, cos) by 0xHab
Polar Thread n.10 by nzfs
Kaleidobars by TeNinEight
Parhun پَرهون by Pouya
Simple Patterns by Estienne
Window Of Oppurtunity by shuhblam
Oblique Construct I by Cannaerts
Aprendizajes by msoriaro
Chaos Research by ileivoivm
Frequência by bgola
\__._|_.__/ by Kerem Altaylar
The Thread In The Pattern by infinite
Encircling by Lisa Orth
appendage/ by gammastop
Aurorae by Ad Mortem Festinamus
Transmission by George Savva
The Spiral Fountain by Bisdvrk
Octopus Galaxy by quentinhocde
Infrarosa by Somfay
Intergalactic Wreckage by somaticbits
Folded Circle by AutoEclectus
fxGems is not affiliated with fx(hash) or fx(text) (hence the lack of parentheses), and none of the recommendations herein should be construed as financial advice. We’re here to celebrate the art!
Each month I go one by one through all of the projects that dropped on fx(hash) to find the strongest, most compelling work — generative art that has a unique voice, a wide variety across its many mints, and an intriguing approach to algorithms and technique.