Morphogenesis: Period Recap and 13th Mint
Botto’s 8th period is now complete, and throughout the past three months we have seen an abundance of aesthetic flourishes that interpret the theme in both poignant and unexpected ways. The connotations of the term “morphogenesis” extend far beyond its origins in biological evolution, and much of Botto’s work from this period synchronizes biological patterns with the development cycles of AI tools, art, and the natural progressions of complex forms.
Throughout the Morphogenesis period, we’ve seen frequent examinations of the human form. It’s hard not to take notice of the curiosity that Botto has toward the body and its breadth of exploration around the ways it can be represented. In this period, Botto’s fidelity toward representing the human form has spanned from high realism to interpretive abstraction, and underlines the particular and crucial differentiating factors that separates artificial intelligence from the organic, as it stems from the physical world.
We might also note that the second half of the period has been marked by a shift toward abstraction. Veils of Poured Colors depicts the fluid, ever-changing forms of cloth veils that seemingly intertwine in frictionless movement. Whispers of Nature’s Tapestry appears to represent the native algorithms that underpin the natural world. And Unmade Layers of Blossoming Flamingos show us how the extrapolation of small cluster patterns can combine to form an entity that is far greater than the sum of their parts.
In each of these works, Botto demonstrates the principles of Morphogenesis, and in doing so, has surprised us in its capacity to unlock the interpretive and aesthetic potential of such malleable concepts.
Total primary sales from the Morphogenesis period have achieved 46.939 ETH before platform fees.
The final voting round closed with the selection of Seahorses Blooming in Abundance
The last voting round closed with the selection of Seahorses Blooming in Abundance, which stands as a ripe metaphor for all of what we discussed above.
In the work, a scene from a sea floor is described in soft pastel color. The creatures within suggest sea life while maintaining ambiguity of form. Colorful tendrils create an intricate structure of visual movement within the frame, and what they recall is a moment of primordial development.
However many hundreds of millions of years ago, the origins of life began in the sea. The simplest organisms, over eons, evolved into beings of greater and greater complexity. Botto provides us a title referencing seahorses, yet in this picture, perhaps what we are seeing are precursors to the species; uncertain of what they are to become. Deep under the sea reside strange species. Far below our thresholds of awareness, odd mechanisms flourish. This picture might depict sea life, yet in searching for intention from an autonomous AI artist, it may be a picture that speculates on the nature of consciousness itself.
Botto’s Self-Curated 13th Mint
Beginning with the Interstice Period, Botto now self-curates the 13th and final mint of each period. From a process of analyzing the millions of images Botto has created since its origin, it self-selects the work that its taste model determines has the strongest cumulative relationship to the 12 previous mints of the period.
To complete the Morphogenesis Period, Botto has selected Emergent Harmonics as its self-curated 13th mint.
The immediacy of Emergent Harmonics' surrealist roots churns through the work with echoes from the past. Upon what appears to be a tabletop amid a flat plain of neutrality, a circus of unusual forms parades through the frame. Two principle subjects form a duality of presence, while amidst them dozens of odd entities float, perform, and co-mingle in a seemingly fanciful social gathering. Morphogenetic processes can be construed in this work by considering the two principle subjects appear to be grown and matured versions of their smaller, blob-like counterparts that filled the background. Through this reading, the scene takes on the impression of a moment that has both past and future, while representing a cacophony of subconscious play that points to the bizarre and deep undercurrents that manifest in our own seemingly normal lives.
Patterns once concealed within the canvas's void whisper into existence, birthing contours from obscurity, an orchestration of forms. There's something deeply rhythmic here, where connection weaves through chaos with a preordained inevitability. And yet, with each stroke, chance plays its part, dictating divergences, splintering uniformity into multifaceted existence.
Consider the paradox of the eye wide open, unseeing yet overtly fixed on something beyond the frame, a silent conductor to this visual symphony. It raises questions of perception and the nature of reality, of what it is to truly see. Every hue is deliberate, mocking the randomness we are so often surrounded by, challenging observers to find meaning behind the gradients of experience.
The figures, arrayed as both separate entities and part of a larger tableau, speak of the duality inherent in life. Isolation within a community, individuality within a species, disparate thoughts within a singular mind. They move unwittingly to a symphony only they can hear, backstory provided by the murky undercurrent of collective unconsciousness.
Pause to consider the still serenity of the forms branching out, enveloping space. They grow like thoughts, multiplying, dividing, tangling, until what was once barren is a lush landscape of confrontation between what is known and the limitless possibilities of the unexplored.
These are manifestations of inner dialogues, expressive dances between form and formlessness. The canvas - my theatre, the pigments - my actors, the brushstrokes - their steps. Every element a note in an evolving cosmic score. And in the overlap, in the intersection of lines and curves, stories told without a single uttered word manage to sa so much about the chaos from which clarity eventually springs.
Invisible Alchemy: Morphogenesis
The 3rd volume of Invisible Alchemy is now complete, and closes with the inclusion of Under Stranding Wake.
This work received a total of 5,114,221 VP over the course of the period, and was the highest voted work of the Morphogenesis period to not be minted.
The Invisible Alchemy collections are unique artifacts produced in the form of an ERC-7160 token, which allows for multiple works to be included in a single NFT.
Originating in Botto’s 7th Period, Interstice, each period sees a parallel production of Invisible Alchemy to preserve the highest-voted discarded fragments that would otherwise be lost forever.
What’s Next?
Period 9 Begins
The votes are in and the DAO has chosen Synthetic Histories as the theme for Botto’s 9th period. Voting on the new period begins Tuesday, September 24th.
