VORTEX

Vortex is my first curated project released on the Art Blocks platform. This collection of 1,000 NFTs will drop Monday, December 13th, 2021 at 10am PT/1pm ET.

Each vortex is created upon being minted using a generative code set to specific parameters regarding color palette, edge details, number of layers, and tunnel styles. You can see examples of vortexes generated during the testing phase below.

To participate in the auction, you can download the plugin for Metamask here & connect your Metamask wallet to the Art Blocks platform. A more detailed explanation on how to set up a Metamask wallet can be found here. The auction is powered by Ethereum, which can be purchased directly through your Metamask account or transferred from a cryptocurrency exchange like Coinbase.

The phenomena of the spiral is located throughout the natural world, found in everything from nautili and galaxies, to fractals and sacred geometries. Much like the gravitational pull of patterns in the universe, Jen Stark's series of generative vortexes pays homage to the intricate systems present in our daily lives.

Drawing upon the aesthetic practice of her signature paper sculptures, Stark's hand-cut techniques are translated to adapt and evolve within the digital realm through code, brought to life through harmonic sine waves.

In line with Stark's passion for arts education & environmental sustainability, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to non-profit organizations: Love Activists, Heal The Bay, Create Now and Inner-City Arts. 

Vortex is a generative system written in three.js. It uses the TokenHash created at the time of minting to determine all its features.

A Vortex is built from between 15-242 overlapping 2d planes. When these are stacked on top of each other, it builds a full 3d shape to explore. A Vortex can be interacted with by click dragging on the shape. 

Each layer in the Vortex has a particular shape cut out of it, diminishing in size the deeper the layer is. This creates the impression of a tunnel. The edges of each shape are built from several different design types, all with their own parameters and features.

Sawtooth, Sin waves, drip patterns and facetted designs are several of the possible types. Using features such as frequency and amplitude, each design blends between others over the length of the tunnel and creates its unique shape. 

These designs are further sorted into design sets, each with a particular look. There are 22 design sets in total, and many possibilities within each set.

The tunnel itself is subject to different parameters. Depth, change in diameter, twist amount, and others. Some will animate layers over the length of the tunnel.

A Vortex selects a palette from out of 45 possible ones. Each palette is a run of swatches, which can also sometimes reverse. From this palette, the system chooses from 4 different ways to display the color

Cycle - the colors rush towards the camera

Still - the colors are still (the most complex color palettes use this style)

Pulse - the colors dont move down the tunnel, they fade between a number of states, giving the impression of movement.

Fade - the palettes are stretched over a long period of the tunnel.