Contxt
It's been a few months since my last post. It's been a really busy time full of researching, learning, and diving into new innovative areas that I previously never thought about creatively. I'm at a point in my artistic career where I’m making big moves that, if architected correctly, can become something larger than myself in different forms.
Website Refresh
I recently updated my website with a fresh look, something I do every few months to showcase my latest artwork, news, and ideas from both past and present. This refresh includes new digital art, a shop lookbook, and video pages, with more content on the way. For clarity, 1980k is my "alias" artist profile—a raw, experimental space where I share my self-curated work. I describe it as "less curation, more creation." In contrast, my professional artist account is more polished, consistent in style, and tailored to a specific audience, prioritizing customer focus over experimental art.
Contxt
I produce some artwork that never sees the light of day. This is one of those collections that I loved and that has a lot of meaning to me, but it didn’t feel right to release it as a public collection tied to my profile.
“CONTXT” is my most recent digital artwork project. Created in February 2024, it took me a while before I decided to open-source the collection for free under CC0.
In 2024, we saw an absolute surge of artificial intelligence products hit the market. Like most, I've been fascinated with how the a.i. brain works and how information is surfaced. This sparked my curiosity about how machines structure information and, more importantly, how context is understood in a sea of information.
In 2018, I began experimenting with visualizing artificial intelligence, but my focus was on curation and less on context, driving my interest down a deep rabbit hole of understanding. This can be seen in my h4x0r artwork patterns, which are pure code algorithms written in p5.js. I've since expanded many projects from the original h4x0r style, such as this collection. How do the nodes connect…
Each artwork represents a fragment of knowledge, an evolving construct of AI as it CONTXTualizes and reorganizes data in real time. The dynamic grid structures within CONTXT mirror the intricate logic of machine intelligence, where randomness meets order in the pursuit of meaning.
Individually, a single piece may symbolize raw information. Together, across all 69 pieces, they form a network of intelligence — each artwork contributing to a larger, emergent system of understanding.
The visual above highlights a few things that I wanted to make sure the generative system curated with each output
Each artwork has a generative name associated with it. The names come from an established themed database and are randomly selected on generation.
Each artwork has a flat 2D mode that visualizes the machine sorting, organizing, and contextualizing information with values randomly selected during generation.
Each artwork has a 3D Isometric mode, which, when clicked, opens to visualize the infinite machine of information randomly selected on generation.
Without CONTXT information becomes blind to nuance, misinterprets intent, and struggles to deliver meaning. CONTXT allows AI to be more intelligent, adaptive, and accurate by providing a frame of reference for understanding inputs and making informed decisions.
Initially I had created this artwork exclusively for the Bitcoin blockchain, but instead of being inscribed, it has been open-sourced under cc0 as free to use.
Generative artwork with seed-based randomization
Dynamic grid-based visualization
Four distinct themes (Bitcoin, Terminal, Textmode, Machine)
Responsive design for all screen sizes
Interactive preview system
Artwork Traits
Grid Complexity
Pattern Types
Animation Speed
Visual Elements
Theme system
Architecture
What were we put on this planet to do?
I’ve asked this question continuously throughout the years, and as my life progresses, I genuinely believe my course has been clear, but identifying it has been hard for me. I like to think my mission is to cultivate inspiration. Whether through teaching or mentoring, I believe one of the highest human acts is to inspire others. But what does this look like in our society today…
I could be a teacher, I could be an artist, I could be an engineer, I could sell inspiration. There are a plethora of possibilities that come to mind, but few fit into my vision. Over a year ago, I was forced to make a life change where I found myself living in a new place surrounded by less consumption and more nature.
For years, I’ve followed other artists who have opened artist studios. I’ve run into creative locations like Casa Wabi, a non-profit foundation dedicated to fostering dialogue between contemporary art and local communities through artist residencies, exhibitions, and cultural programs.
While those are inspiring, the vision still differs from what I am pursuing. I’m looking to shape a space that is an (1) artist studio, (2) a knowledge sharing center, and (3) a career inspiration through exploration and experimentation—an open space to create your soul's passion.
Doing this is a big dream I have been pursuing for over a year. I’ve taught myself architecture and how to model my ideas. My wife and I have purchased the land, and the workers have it prepped for building. The visuals below highlight early explorations into what this space will become as I transition into naming and more…
Some of the amazing studios that have inspired me to pursue this vision over the recent years are Felipe Pantone—Casa Axis, Greg Mike—ABV Gallery, Okuda—Coloring the world foundation, and many more.
"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them."
— Walt Disney
If you’ve made it this far, I appreciate you. More love, more wins, and more fun for all in 2025.
