LW Art Challenge IV - Results
LW Art Challenge IV - Results
Experience the visuals and sounds from this month's challenge all in one place.
The results are in and they are stunning🤩
I am blown away at the level of thought and detail that has come out of this month’s art and music challenge. Artists and composers were tasked to make an abstract artwork and/or music piece based on three words: Massive. Dense. Delicate.
Soon after releasing the details of the challenge, several artists commented to the effect of, “Wow, this is going to be a difficult one”. In only a few days’ time, those very same artists, as well as several others, delivered beautiful, thought-provoking pieces.
One of the most exciting aspects of this challenge was to see how each artist tackled the three-word prompt from a completely different angle. No two are even remotely the same. This gives us a glimpse into how unique each one of our perspectives can be, even when perceiving the same idea/theme.
You can find the original challenge post here:
Let’s dive in🤘
w74.eth (Wojak)
‘Orchid’
Wojak’s ‘Orchid’ came out with a bang. When I first saw the post on 𝕏, it was a jaw-dropping moment for me. This is an artist who is incredibly prolific, creating around 10-20 artworks per day. Keeping up with his output as best I can, I’ve noticed a general composition style that leans toward closed-in, blob-like (his term) components. He also tends to use portrait orientation. These are only tendencies, and not to say his work is predictable—he has many pieces that defy such commonalities.
Having absorbed this style over the weeks leading up to ‘Orchid,’ you can imagine the impact the piece had on me, as it breaks away from his recent trends in a big way. We get a landscape orientation with wide, explosive gestures that span the entire canvas with space in between, representing the ‘massive’ part of the prompt. He gives us ‘dense’ in the form of dark clusters, as well as in the amount of overall layering of textures.
The subject of the orchid is a beautiful way to express the ‘delicate’ part of the prompt and I appreciate his use of earthy colors and purples associated with the flower.
‘Tasting a cake in the matrix’
Wojak’s second submission demonstrates his range while maintaining a distinct voice. He mentions that this one takes a more conceptual route. While I don’t want to try to interpret or come to a conclusion about the concept, I can at least find and feel each of the challenge prompts. The originality here is exceptional.
In Wojak’s words:
“The second painting is completely digital . But I’m amazed how physical it is . It’s just 0s and 1s fundamentally. But so many computational abstraction is built over it that you can mistake it for the real thing. It’s almost as if the computer is making a cake which you can almost taste in a way.”
Ryan Staley
‘not in rivers, but in drops’
I was very excited to see a new in-your-face, powerful piece by my good friend, Ryan. A digital collage work with elements of street art, a sense of hidden messages in plain sight, fast movement juxtaposed with heavy blocks and concrete textures, brilliant contrasting colors, alarming gestures that feel like stomping, a piece you can’t merely scroll past without pause. This work inspires the rattling off of elements quickly in a single breath.
Ryan’s work leaves a lot of room for interpretation as it is always left with little to no explanation. He wants you to take it all in and form your own opinion. That being said, he has left some clues as to the influence of this particular work, as well as a brief explanation as to the general composition.
One clue is the title, which I immediately recognized as the name of a song by the metal band, Isis. When he first posted the work with nothing other than the title and no information about whether he would mint it, I figured he was likely listening to the song while in production, as I know Isis is one of his favorite bands.
My hunch was confirmed when he made a follow-up post with the mint page in which he actually posted the lyrics to the song. This information is helpful in connecting with the piece and the artist behind it while still maintaining overall abstraction as the lyrics don’t exactly tell a clear-cut story.
After talking to Ryan about the work, he mentioned the flow of the piece in direct connection with the prompt. Considering this, we see a massive, dense area in the bottom half that calls your attention upon first glance. From there, your eye naturally travels upward as the texture sort of dissipates into something more delicate, almost like smoke from a fire.
Anuomii
‘Arcanum’
Anuomii’s piece beautifully communicates the challenge prompts. It is loud and chaotic but with a level of constraint as all of the elements collide together in a cohesive and balanced way. There is a general sense of expansiveness that covers the ‘massive’ element. ‘Density’ is clearly represented. The effect of light beams shooting through the cracks touches on the ‘delicate’, which I find to be the most fascinating and original part of the work. It almost feels like a broken kaleidoscope in the best way possible.
As for the title ‘Arcanum’, one can only guess what is meant by this in relation to the piece and the challenge. In my mind, it touches on the general sense of mystery and lack of information provided behind the subject material of the challenge or, to think beyond the confines of the challenge, to the general idea of unanswered questions and speculation as to what may be known by a select few.
Michael Hughes
[untitled]
Michael Hughes is back with his signature GIF style. I’m always impressed with the level of editing that goes into these works. He starts by building an animation that lasts about 20 seconds, then edits it down to a mere 1-2 seconds for the final output.
This is a very abstract take on the challenge prompts with no title or information, leaving the interpretation entirely in the viewer’s hands. Without attempting to arrive at any conclusion, I want to point out some things I’m seeing here.
The use of brown and a general earthy palette comes as a fresh contrast to many of the brighter pieces that sometimes look like the colors were flipped to the negative. If you look long enough, you’ll start seeing more details of what looks like a hidden layer with a white background with black rectangles. The effect is remeniscent of subliminal messaging.
Ultimately, this is a piece that is best left without too much explanation and simply enjoyed by gazing and feeling.
Lin Xir Wengi
‘Melting Sand’
It is such a pleasure to discover what will come out of Lin’s mind next. She is very thoughtful and highly conceptual in much of her work. Her interpretation of the challenge comes from the unique angle of sitting on the beach and reflecting on the waves of the sea, the movement of the sand, and the systems of nature. What better way to touch on the ‘massive’, the ‘dense’, and the ‘delicate’? There is a sense of the classic, “To See a World in a Grain of Sand…” idea (William Blake), while the art itself is very much rooted in modern technology.
Be sure to check out the mint page and sit with the piece for a while. The video I provided doesn’t capture the continuously generating, ever-changing nature of the piece. An observation I’m really loving here is how the piece appears to repeat the same pattern. However, if you look closely, you’ll see that each repetition is slightly different and evolved, much like waves washing onto the beach and leaving a slightly altered grain pattern each time.
In Lin’s words:
“One situation that comes to mind when I think of the words massive, dense, and delicate is when I stood on the beach, watching how the sand moved and flowed towards the sea after the waves touched the shore.
The tightly packed, abundant grains of sand seemed to melt as they moved, creating an illusion for my eyes. It felt as if my body was being carried away by the flow of this melting sand, as though I were being pulled by the receding waves. But in reality, my body remained still, with my feet rooted in the sand.
This natural phenomenon helped me understand more about how nature works. Everything in nature moves according to its own system, regardless of whether humans (as part of nature) intervene or not.”
Rangga Purnama Aji
‘Reality Bend’
Rangga, being the prolific creator he is, produced two works that are very different in design and concept.
‘Reality Bend’ is a continuously generating work that changes designs and colors each time you refresh the page, so the example I’ve provided here is just one of possibly infinite iterations. Also, be sure to check this out on the mint page, preferably on desktop/laptop in full screen mode as the artist says it works best that way.
Yet another original take on the challenge prompt, this work is a commentary on the massive, yet delicate subject of consciousness.
In Rangga’s words:
“This piece is inspired by the massive bending force of reality far from our control. I tried to interpret the three words from the challenge by thinking about what could integrate them as whole. Later i realized that reality have the aspects that could be seen through those.
The force of reality are massive and dense, the bending process of one changed reality are delicate and often unconsciously felt. Through it's mechanism, subjectively or objectively.”
‘Pounding Energy’
This music + art piece comes from a totally different angle compared to the first one. The approach here takes on the perspective of blacksmithing. This piece also requires a visit to the mint page to hear it in full since the provided example is only a short clip.
The art is fully abstract while clearly alluding to the forging of iron with its angular gray shapes and sense of rust and flying sparks.
The music is produced by live coding and perfectly aligns with the art and the concept with its driving, crunchy, industrial sound.
In Rangga’s words:
“Imagining the way a blacksmith forging the iron. Massive through the strength, dense within it's material, and delicately consistent shaping it.
I tried to manifest this imagination as a sonic form and try to keep only the conceptual mechanism that i got from it.”
Silvia Anan
‘Entrenched’
Silvia created two works for the challenge that each take a unique approach to the prompt while both being instantly recognizable as a Silvia Anan piece.
In ‘Entrenched’ I get a sense the prompts right away. To me, it reads like a piece of fabric made of densely packed particles. As you look closer, the aggregated pixels begin to glitch apart. What looks soft on the surface becomes rough in the details. The intensity of the red is attention-grabbing and adds a richness to the work.
‘Peacocks Reign’
‘Peacocks Reign’ is such a clever approach to the prompt. The word ‘peacock’ and the subsequent use of its feathers to build an abstract piece are all that are needed to encompass the three prompt words and objective of the challenge. I’m imagining the massive span of feathers, the density of feathers that it’s made of, as well as pattern and color density, and the fact that such a spectacle is made of such delicate material.
Pixel Symphony
‘;;transcendent thrum;; (Idle/Interludes #1469)’
My good friend, Pixel Symphony, submitted a very fitting output from his very successful long form generative collection ‘Idle/Interludes’. The image is one he provided with the original on the left and a zoomed-in version on the right. He gave this iteration the title of ‘;;transcendent thrum;;’, which combines two contrasting terms that fit with the theme of the challenge, while the terms combined into one suggest a possible deep resonance that could be both grounding and extraordinary.
As for the piece itself, one can read into it all day in the context of the challenge prompt. I particularly love the change in texture and density in the column to the right of the hole. The overlapping characters add a rougher texture to the rest of the piece and I find it interesting how it stops part of the way up. The words ‘chime/chance’ make up the column with overlapping characters and the arbitrary letters that make up the rest of the work suggest ‘brother’ to me. A fun feature of this piece, and the collection as a whole, is the opportunity it allows to draw from your own perspective and make personal connections to the work through its abstract use of language.
DBB
‘Ego’
DBB’s response to the challenge goes deep with the subject of the ego. I’m impressed by the originality of this audiovisual work. The piece uses figurative forms to tell a story in the abstract.
As with all of his work, this piece is rich in concept and it is up to you to read into it or simply feel the message as it washes over you. I’d guess that anybody can recognize each of the prompt words at work in the surface material alone and especially in the context that the title suggests. My view is the idea of the risk each one of us faces when clouded by ego and the fragility that comes as a result of being fully enveloped by it.
The visual has a gorgeous simplicity to it. The billowing golden cloud against the minimal style of the building interior and its neutral colors create a captivating contrast. The music adds the perfect feel, providing a mysterious and tragic atmosphere to the image.
DEHISCENCE
'The Weight of Transformation'
I’m very excited to see Dehiscence show up with her first submission to the #LWArtChallenge. She is well known for her figurative AI-assisted work, which encompasses many styles, though always manages to contain a recognizable trace of her unique voice. She expressed that she has recently begun to explore the realm of the abstract, so it is an honor to have her participate in this challenge right at the beginning of this pursuit.
The concept of transformation and its burdens on the individual and the collective is very much in line with the overarching theme of these challenges and may be felt by the artist to an extent in the exploration of a new way of making art.
The artwork visually gives a sense of the prompt words and the feeling of chaos amidst the experience of major transformation. The wide variety of colors in the graffiti-like paint at the forefront makes me think of the messy effects of societal change among a diverse group of people who come from a wide variety of worldviews. I appreciate the contrast and grounding effect of the background blocks behind the wild movement of the paint.
In Dehiscence’s words:
“The Weight of Transformation explores the deep and often challenging process of change. It examines the emotional and psychological burdens that come with personal and collective transformation. It is composed of the struggles, sacrifices, and growth experienced as individuals or societies evolve, and it reflects on how these transformations can shape and define our lives.”
IOFEYE
'Branched Yet Rooted'
IOFEYE is another artist who has submitted a work for the first time. In hindsight, I know I’ve seen her profile and her work floating around in the periphery, but I hadn’t paid closer attention until now. I am very happy to discover the talent and vision of this artist.
‘Branched Yet Rooted’ immediately communicates the prompt in the title and a bit on the surface of the visual art while remaining abstract enough to pull you in for a closer analysis. We get recognizable figurative components that act as symbols in an abstract video collage.
In the audio, we get a blurred repeating phrase that gradually comes into focus: “because the eye is still attached”. I love the mystery here. We have figurative imagery and a clearly spoken phrase but the whole thing is still very much abstract. Considering the artist’s moniker ‘IOFEYE’, I’m wondering whether the spoken phrase is really “because the ‘I’ is still attached”, which would take on a new meaning that feels very appropriate here. Maybe something to do with the ego. This is just one speculation among several that I’ll continue exploring with this work.
drain
‘Long Form Head Cannon’
As with so many of Drain’s works, this one smacks you in the face with an explosion of colors. His glitch pieces contain some of the characteristic textures you expect from the genre, while his palette and composition choices leave no room for guessing the artist behind them.
‘Long Form Head Cannon’ is loud and feels like a flood of pixels pouring outward toward the viewer. It has a great balance between dense sections and flat surfaces. There are a few moments I noticed upon first glance. The yellow-orange surface on the left side has an interesting 3D, room-like effect, created by the way the lines cross over it. There is a beam running down the center of the piece with what appears to be round dots, but when you zoom in, you'll see that they are actually nonagons, almost resembling spikes. My eye is then drawn to the bottom of that beam, where there appears to be a black hole with a round blue dot, which is another nonagon.
There is a lot to take in here, so I’ll continue to revisit this piece.
In drain’s words:
“An explosion of color, with a couple delicate strokes and patterns that attempt to persevere the chaos.”
LoneWick
[untitled]
In the previous challenges I provided detailed breakdowns of my compositions, which I felt were helpful in understanding how the prompts were closely integrated. With this piece, I don’t feel the need to go into such detail, as the prompt ‘Massive. Dense. Delicate.’ will be perceived more directly.
What I will say is that the piece is the most satisfying to the ears when listened to from beginning to end. Of course, any piece of music should be experienced in full, but I emphasize this suggestion here because the piece is written with the objective to stretch your ear’s patience to the point of near annoyance, while still maintaining enough interest to keep you listening, then finally rewards you with a sense of relief.
This objective may be lost on some, but I’m happy to hear that several people have discovered this effect on their own and have shared their excitement with me. This has given me such a feeling of fulfillment in relation to the work I put into this piece.
One of the main goals of my music is to set up and play with your expectations. This piece does exactly that in several ways. There is plenty of music in the world that can be experienced passively. I prefer, and hope, to make music that inspires the listener to remain conscious during the performance. This is a difficult and delicate task to achieve and it will always be one of my goals.
Lastly, this piece is part of a little album I’ll release soon that contains a few pieces you’ve heard in these challenges and a few you haven’t heard. The gestures and materials in each one will come together as a cohesive whole when experienced in album form.
Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy it.
Thank you
I want to thank you for taking the time to experience the wide range of art created for this challenge. It has proved time and time again to be a lot of fun for the artists, including myself.
If you are able, please consider supporting these artists by collecting their work and sharing them. They spend a lot of time and effort to make beautiful and provocative pieces for us to enjoy, to help us see things in a new light, to find a sense of connection, and at the very least, provide an escape from daily life.
If you enjoyed this and would like to see more art and music stuff, subscribe for free.
-LW❤️🔥
This is such a great series.