Manifesting
This is my 11th Etch and acts as a directory and guide to the 10 Etches and 15 Lifts that came before it. It's both a reflection on my experimentation with Etch so far and my official entry - of each Etch individually and all of them as a set - to the competition for Gazers #716.
All Etches and lifts mentioned below can be found on my profile or here: https://deca.art/Maxorgel/etched_reflections
I provided an intro with Etch #1786 which lays out my approach and ambition for my journey with Etch. I see the potential for Etch to be the start of new types of NFTs that merge the existing visual elements with long-form text and tried to stay true to the exploration of the use cases this opens in all subsequent Etches. My JPEG seemed like the perfect subject as the work plays with file formats and the simplified conception many have of NFTs.
Etch #1802 & #1862 share the same subject. I liked permanently adding my interpretations to the different interpretations of the subject by the Etch algorithm. ChainFaces as the subject provide another layer as the original work is a type of instruction to be interpreted. By code or mind.
With Etch #1815 I told the story of my profile punk. It's an interpretation of and addition to the artwork's provenance.
I reflect on my collecting and the joy and pain it brings me with Etch #1868. Gazer #105 is both its subject and one of the subjects of that reflection.
Etch #1828 takes its inspiration from its subject The Worm. I send it away to explore the question of how far an Etch can travel and whether the etched instructions are enough to motivate behavior. Its Lifts provide an interesting form of branching that allows the offspring to become much stronger branches while always staying connected to their roots.
I created Etch #1957 out of appreciation for Deca, Decagons and Etches. One of the visuals created gave me the idea to create 3 lifts and create a bond between the creators and me by distributing 3 tokens and keeping one for myself.
Etch #1925 interrogates the question of what role different participants and technologies play in inspiring and creating an artwork. I used OpenAI's GPT to create a bridge to Daniel Hopfer - the first etcher - and based the visual on Botto's first token.
With Etch #1874 & #2027, I used Etch as a diary. I liked the idea of a growing collection of individual tokenized entries that exists - and can be transferred and traded - individually but also connected like a string of pearls. I chose photos as subjects that - while different in look from the environment that I was in that day - best captured the mood I felt.
Other Etches that I found interesting and lifted:
#492: An exploration of a powerful use case that's both legal and emotional.
#664: A deeply personal document.
#669: Underscores the focus on the message by foregoing the art completely.
#692: Funny, moving, and the exploration of what and how we want to record to remember and pay tribute.
#695: A very meta technical exploration that plays with the limits of the medium.
#697: An experiment in linking etches.
#703: A historical comparison that's well-captured by the visual.
The past weeks of finding, creating, and thinking about Etches have turned into a welcome obsession. I spend much more time writing than I normally do. The art makes the words feel more meaningful and I'm more thoughtful because etches are permanent and have a cost.
As I close the chapter of the competition here are some other ideas I was exploring and might etch in the future:
- My path in NFsT through tokens and people
- A digital birth certificate (for a new pseudonymous identity)
- A job advertisement
- A permanent profile (linktree replacement)
- A way of crowdfunding
- A way to collect and tip for all kinds of content
Thank you.
