publications

sunrise at marfa

november 2024

spectrum interview

february 2024

there's paint in my computer

january 2024

proscenium

october 2023

thanking sally

march 2023

vibes

october 2021

vibes is a collection of generative artworks, randomly created at the moment of mint, seeded by blockhash, and immutably stored on ethereum as on-chain html. capturing a vibe is like bottling a droplet from the ocean; each piece is the tiniest glimpse of an unknowably large set of combinatorial outcomes, defined by the math and curated constraints of the code.

the algorithm explores color theory and its ability to evoke unique and subjective emotions. in other words, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. to each their own vibe.

vibes are immutable, designed to be as resilient as the underlying blockchain, with no added dependencies outside of ethereum, using only solidity and javascript. the metadata and rendering code are both generated within the smart contract. the output is valid html that can be viewed in any web browser.

vibes can be rendered at any size; the vibes algorithm is resolution independent, meaning you can zoom in to your favorite tiny details. the only exceptions to that rule are the style and grain traits; their visual effects vary with resolution, creating a deeper interaction with the viewer, akin to quantum mechanics: observational relativity.

the vibes contract discourages miners and sophisticated attackers from gaming the random number generation by making it unviable economically. the block rewards miners would have to forgo to guarantee a very rare outcome far exceeds any guaranteed returns. additionally, the mint function checks that the caller is not a contract. this forces attackers to redeploy code with every attempt, incurring a higher cost of attack and with no guarantee of returns.

vibes is dedicated to the public domain, released under cc0, and governed only by the property rights enforced by code. to the extent possible under law, remnynt has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this collection. the code for vibes rendering, the smart contract, and this website are all open source.

vibes was designed to support a broad range of outcomes, enabling a larger supply with a smaller mint price, and ultimately introducing a wider audience to on-chain generative art. this allows for some especially rare traits with a 1 / 1000 chance, and even rarer combinations, many of which will never be seen.

the vibes collection is my first public release as an artist. owners of these works can claim a 1-of-1 signed physical print. although the project is released without any other promises or obligations, i hope to continue to build in a way that rewards collectors and makes them proud to own my art. which brings us to chapter 2, enter [the reliquary].

relics

april 2022

the reliquary starts with an experimental smart contract, in which the code tells a story. readers learn of a forgotten place, lost beneath the sands in a remote desert, where an ancient technology has recently been discovered. these devices, called relics, can be claimed in a number of ways, including from an on-chain quest through the reliquary, guided by solidity natspec comments, or from a novel pricing mechanic based on stacking discounts for vibes holders.

you play the role of a seeker - an elite adventurer belonging to a guild of a similar name. on your first mission, you must recover a relic of your own. from there, you'll embark on a journey of discovery, guided by your curiosity, creativity, and the search for truth. what will you make of your relics?

relics explore animated glitch-pixel-art built on top of both the vibes algorithm and contracts. the core mechanic built into each relic is a resource known as mana. mana is generated slowly over time, but is cut in half whenever a relic moves to a new wallet. there are several other limited ways to gain mana, most of which involve burning a vibe to customize your relic. mana can be consumed to evolve and upgrade a relic, mutating its animation, and increasing its rate of mana production. where do we go from here?

although the reliquary is released as is, without further promises or obligations, it's designed to support expansion.

the first opportunity for expansion is mana. it is interoperable and can be consumed by any contract on mainnet as a requirement to do literally anything. as the world of the reliquary is built out, it could be used to cast spells, summon creatures and characters, or to collect new generative art. the possibilities are endless as we continue to adapt and create.

the second opportunity for expansion is through trustless metadata upgrades. while building the reliquary, i created a standard called ERC721ATM. in addition to the low gas fees pioneered by chiru labs, it allows for all tokens to have their metadata automatically upgraded. a feature like this enables new relic levels to unlock, new visual effects, generative audio, drawing tools, and almost any other kind of improvement you can imagine, all while allowing each token holder to opt out if they don't like changes made.

the artist

i've been in love with media, art, and games since i was four. i was born with nystagmus, which made hands on crafts and digital displays particularly appealing - i could get close and focus on them. i started creating games on paper, like mazes. that grew into world maps, paper platformer level designs, and stories. my imagination ran wild. i taught myself to code on a TI-83, and began creating games for my friends. ever since, i've been driven by a relentless desire to create. i studied games, art, and computer science to master my craft. my first generative art project was procedural random terrain, while studying computer graphics in 2008.

early in my career, i quit a software job to become an indie gamedev, but i ended up joining a start-up instead. after more than a decade in the games industry there, crafting experiences that touched hundreds of millions of players, i needed to get back to that original creative spark. i set out on a journey to make art for art's sake. by minting and collecting my work, you're supporting my art practice and my family. thank you!

- remnynt