fxGems #6 ⏀ A Prolific Beginning - Part I
The artists with the mostest. Highlights from some of the most productive artists from the first three weeks of open minting on fx(hash). And the connection between being prolific and genius.
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).
When I was a kid, I used to think prolific was a synonym for genius. It wasn't until college that I learned prolific simply means someone who makes a lot of work. Picasso was a genius; he was also prolific. And they're not the same thing. All you have to do is google the centaur stick figures he drew in Antibes to see that even well into his career — thanks to his prolific output — not everything he made was good.
That said, the more work you make, the more opportunities you have to grow, and the more chances you have to get it right. Prolific art-making is the perfect cure to break a perfectionist streak. And it's only with a lot of work under your belt that you start to find your voice and thus create work that stands out. So it's funny to realize that my childhood self was onto something when it saw a connection between the two.
When fx(hash) first launched, one of the most inspiring things was seeing so many prolific generative artists appear to spring out of nowhere — each of them dropping 5, 10, even 15 projects apiece in the first three weeks of open minting (Nov 10 - Nov 30, 2021). It was a cascade of rapid-fire releases one right after another.
Of course, many of them had been making generative work for years with a back catalogue of projects just waiting for a home. But it was also invigorating to see younger artists figuring it out in real time. And all of them were hungry. There was a pent-up need for an open generative site like fx(hash).
So here is the first round of truly prolific artists in fx(hash) history. Some of the work is genius; some of it has room to grow. All of it was here first, lighting a path, helping establish fx(hash)'s place in art history — and for that we should always be grateful.
As always, this issue is available to view on fx(text), especially good for all those animated pieces. And this is Part I of a two part series, so don't forget to check out Part II now that it’s dropped.
nTRPC - 19 Projects
akizuki - 14 Projects
Lionel Lemarie - 13 Projects
AlexandreRangel - 13 Projects
Chris Randall - 13 Projects
mandybrigwell - 12 Projects
Pointiago - 12 Projects
meodai - 12 Projects
BbFf - 12 Projects
Kerem Altaylar - 10 Projects
punevyr - 10 Projects
Daniel_Hercules - 10 Projects
Mate Steinforth - 10 Projects
StrangerintheQ - 10 Projects
andre - 9 Projects
Johan Holwerda - 9 Projects
Xeronimo - 9 Projects
lomz - 9 Projects
flockaroo - 8 Projects
Marcelo - 8 Projects
Daniel Oropeza - 8 Projects
Gin(proto) - 8 Projects
Reinder Nijhoff - 8 Projects
radarboy3000 - 8 Projects
0xm4_0 - 7 Projects
esnho - 7 Projects
Camille Roux - 7 Projects
quentinhocde - 7 Projects
lilcode - 7 Projects
Tù.úk'z - 7 Projects
Spectrolize - 7 Projects
P1x3lboy - 7 Projects
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.