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Hey Reader,

Sharing a process breakdown today...

This weekend is the closing days for the Cities at dot+grid gallery.

Before the work comes down off the walls, I wanted to share how the collection came to be, and what it means to me.

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Before Cities was a collection or a gallery show, it was an idea in a mural ... just my hand and a paint marker.

These pieces capture my journey of trying to break free and find my way through the grid as a neurodivergent / colorblind artist.
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All of this was happening as my life was changing super quickly.

I had just moved across countries. And weeks later I left my full time job, to focus on my own business / studio. A time full of uncertainty.

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〰️ Actions, reactions, abstractions 〰️

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You could say it's a love letter to the energy of NYC, but it was never just about capturing one city. It's about simplifying the journey through the cities that inspire me the most.

The project captures the ways we move through and reflect this complex world – from my perspective as a neurodivergent / colorblind artist.

The grids, the motion, the iconography, the collisions...

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Over time, the lines made their way into sketchbooks, canvases, watercolor paper, my iPad, and finally into code.
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Building this world opened new ways of thinking and making.

This led to embracing the idea of collaboration and mutli-player artworks.

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Each city output took on new variables like block length, traffic, transit, density, time of day.

The new collection is still hand-drawn at its core, but now those same imperfect motions are codified into a system.

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Through the collaboration we explored texturing algorithms to mimic the scans of my ink drawings – rebuilding the grids one layer, one palette at a time.

We would review the outputs in batches of 1000, looking for emergent properties and areas to refine.

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🎨 Physical to digital & back again 🎨
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The feedback loop completes itself once the generative pieces are printed, brought off the screen and into real life.

Soon they will inspire new paintings, and the cycle continues...
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It's surreal to see this body of work evolve like this.

I owe a huge thanks to my collaborator Diid, Art Blocks, Shillr my partner Jessie, our studio assistant Noah, and everyone who has already collected and helped shape this project.
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If Cities resonates with you, you can still collect a unique piece, postcard set and/or a signed print here.

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With gratitude,

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PS. Interested in a commission or a specific aspect of Cities? Reply to this email and let our team know what you love about this project.

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