Incomplete Control is a series of 100 unique iterations produced from a single algorithm. The works were created as NFTs via the ArtBlocks platform, and were minted during a live, four-day event at the Bright Moments Gallery in New York City.

Incomplete Control deals heavily with “imperfection”. I have always been interested in the presence of imperfection in the analog world, and the relative absence of it in the digital world. The forces of chaos and entropy give the natural world a certain warmth. There are patterns and lessons there that we can beneficially introduce into the digital world. One prerequisite is that the creator must, at least partially, give up control. Incomplete Control is a test of my ability to do this - to allow the output to define an entire space of potential existence rather than limited specifics.

On Analogue Marks

Why does human, analog mark-making feel so different from our typical digital aesthetics? Does it have to be that way? What are we losing, and what are we gaining in this transition to a digital world? I pondered these questions while creating Incomplete Control. With digital tooling, it is possible to work with zero “error”, everything can be as precise, and straight, and smooth, and sharp as you’d like. In fact, modern computers and software are intensely optimized for exactly this behavior. Given that, it’s no surprise that nearly all digital constructions have the same properties.

Does that type of strictness have to be so all-encompassing?

It feels funny to me, having to work hard to make algorithmic artwork that is not “perfect”. The analog world gives you flaws for free, and there is very little room to escape them.

Interestingly, with careful observation and thought, you will find that most analog “flaws” also follow patterns, rules, and probabilities. They are simply the overlap of one pattern on another. An artifact of the creation process, an artifact of the surrounding environment, an artifact of biological processes. Every analog surface tells multiple stories about the forces that created it and the world that it exists in. This adds incredible depth, gravity, and richness to every object. If you choose, you can spend endless hours observing and appreciating it. I hope that we can push digital creations to a similar level. Incomplete Control is one step for me in that direction.

On Traits

Incomplete Control has no “traits”, in the sense of metadata labeling the defining characteristics of a particular output. I chose this for two reasons.

First, it felt overly reductive. Each output is interesting for reasons that are much more complex than what a set of textual traits could convey. The emergent qualities of balance, harmony, tranquility, and rhythm deserve contemplation. To categorize the works is to limit the scope of potential enjoyment and understanding.

Second, the outputs do not fall into distinct categories. I created Incomplete Control to explore an entire, continuous space. Decisions that are made within the program are made along a spectrum. There is no unbridgeable gap that separates one output from another. The entire output set is unified.

The Exhibition

In the winter of 2021, NFTs were in the process of establishing themselves in the real world. The normal experience of minting an NFT was a solitary one, typically taking place at home on a laptop. I chose to work with Bright Moments Gallery to put together an in-person minting experience instead. It felt like there was so much opportunity to craft a special environment, particularly around the moment when the artwork is first revealed to the collector, the creator, and the world at large. Carlos Niño, Makaya McCraven, and other top jazz musicians joined us to create a live score of the artwork as it was revealed, reacting sonically to what they were taking in visually. Live portrait drawing allowed myself, other artists, and an array of collectors to connect in a special way, with the unique bond of drawing and sitting. Most of all, after so many months of quarantining and isolating from the Covid virus, it felt incredibly special to connect with this unique group of individuals in person.