fxGems #4 ⏀ Abstract Honorable Mentions from Nov. 2021 - Part I
written by Haiver
fxGems is curated by Haiver. Follow on Twitter and Mastodon for recommendations, and sign up for email notifications on Substack for when a new issue drops. To support the work, collect a copy of this issue or past issues, or consider minting one of my generative pieces here on fx(hash).
With 1859 projects released in November 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 piece 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.
If you’re looking for more recommendations, check out the representational and abstract Best of Lists, as well as the many Honorable Mentions, covering November 2021.
Furbol by Gorilla Sun
Furbol #921
feel.the.flow by markknol
Vortex by Gingey
Whirl by Johan Holwerda
whirl #46
Digital City by vivavolt
digital city #4
Cellulae by StrangerintheQ
Cellulae #77
кคɭєเ๔๏ร - Շгเคภﻮɭє by CCDDBB
Joy of Order by philipbell
Joy of order #4
Connect the Dots by Large
Inside the Box by Xeronimo
Abbreviated Curves by Landlines Art
Abbreviated Curves #254
Siena by quentinhocde
Siena #188
Medusa - Behind the Screens by flockaroo
Medusa - Behind the Screens #20
Gravitzappa by StrangerintheQ
Gravitzappa #31
blind hole/ by gammastop
blind hole/ #92
World Cut by flockaroo
World Cut #78
Stellae by mandybrigwell
Stellae #16
Fields and Spirals 2021.11.27 by isohedral
Living Color Paintings by danieljulia
Living Color Paintings #21
Bounds by Loren Bednar
Bounds #100
Endless Braids by Dan Gries
Endless Braids #19
The Endless Dance by infinite
Venustas by Morbeck
Nasusara by DistCollective
Nasusara #73
DP-ω by yj.hhh
Hashed Arcs by Yazid
Hashed Arcs #324
Postcard CPT by ismahelio
Postcard CPT #23
Isofrag Generator Series I by wblut
Isofrag generator series I #71
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.