Generative artist Emily Xie has teamed up with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) to launch her latest collection, Interwoven. Xie, best known for her generative collection Memories of Qilin, is once again using the power of code to create enchanting pieces.
This collaboration between the notable artist and museum holds a unique impact, as LACMA has quickly become a hot spot for digital art. The museum started a fund dedicated to acquiring digital art in 2022 and, since then, expanded its collection with NFTs donated by Cozomo de’ Medici. As part of the “Remembrance of Things Future” blockchain initiative in collaboration with Cactoid Labs, LACMA is working with esteemed digital artists to craft artwork that re-envisions objects and pieces from the museum’s permanent collections.
Interwoven is an on-chain digital series that is creatively influenced by the quilts and textiles found within LACMA’s repertoire. Fascinated by the visual patchwork and the harmonious union of different patterns, Xie embarked on a quest to explore the potential of quilts in the realm of her generative art style.
The initial inspiration
“I was specifically interested in quilts and fabrics; they tend to inspire me because they are so deeply multi-sensorial,” Xie shared in an interview with nft now. “There’s an element of visual patchwork, and I love how different patterns can come together and create something so united looking.
During Xie’s exploration, one particular quilt captured her attention—the 1896 Bullseye quilt created by Martha Lou Jones. Xie shared her admiration, saying, “What I love about it is how it represented what generative art meant to me. There’s the tension between the human and the computational.”
The quilt’s grid of circles, although seemingly precise, bears inconsistencies upon closer inspection.
“You see that it’s a grid of repeated circles, and it can seem very mathematical,” Xie said. “But if you look closely, you can see that it’s very imperfect.”
This delicate balance between organic and rigid geometry fascinated Xie, becoming a driving force behind Interwoven.
From lines of code to visual poetry
The Interwoven collection was released on June 7 as a limited edition of 100 pieces, each minted on the Ethereum blockchain to those on the allowlist. The collection features patchwork designs that incorporate various geometric patterns, including both new and previously used elements. These patterns, reminiscent of quilting traditions, weave together to form intricate compositions.
“I am fascinated by how each pattern of a quilt tells its own story,” Xie remarked.
Using JavaScript as the programming language, Xie employed generative algorithms to create the series. The result is a collection that is entirely randomized upon minting. While Xie had a blueprint in mind, she had no precise knowledge of the final outputs. This element of unpredictability adds an exciting and dynamic aspect to the art.
Xie remarks, “People often ask, ‘Where do you get these patterns from? Where did you get these textures from?’ What they fail to realize is that those patterns are entirely generative. They are dynamically created on the fly by the code.”
By highlighting the interplay between human creativity and computational processes, Interwoven showcases the limitless possibilities that emerge when art and technology converge. The drop has garnered positive reception, currently attaining a 4 ETH floor value at the time of writing.
Xie says it’s been a pleasure to work with LACMA, marking the culmination of a long-awaited partnership that was initiated when they first established contact in 2018.
With Interwoven, Xie explores the narrative power of quilts and celebrates the individual stories woven into each pattern. Through the marriage of quilting traditions and generative art, this digital series captivates viewers with its visually stunning compositions and invites them to appreciate the beauty of both tradition and innovation.
