Tim_the_Sleeper

Why am I here, & what the hell am I doing making art? (originally published as a tweet thread) Prompted by various interactions, I think it's a good idea to examine just exactly what it is I think I’m doing, & why I think it has merit. Why am I making art in the way that I am? Partially this is to open a window into my conceptual process that may help you to interpret or experience my art in a way that feels more meaningful. Partially this is because the 'devils in the mind' always whisper discouragement, & I think it pays to take a moment to reflect. NARCOLEPSY So... narcolepsy. This was the fork in my road. I've lived with it now for over 20 years, & it will be with me until I die. Narcolepsy took from me many things - working, driving, social contacts. Instead it gives me: shifting consciousness, hallucinations, & memory problems. My experience of reality itself is quite literally altered. I do not process information, memory, emotion in ways that that are typical. I am isolated from society by my very existence. At very least, this gives me a pretty unusual perspective. When I create images I am struggling with myself and my experiences of awareness. I am trying to communicate a moment of my consciousness. I want to show you what I cannot tell you. PHOTOGRAPHY In the past I explored primarily with photography. The idea of using a fixed image, that (in theory) simply represents the visual reality on front of the camera lens, to describe chaotic & unfixed swirls of subconscious intrusions appealed to me. ABSTRACT ART Since 2021 I have moved towards directly interrogating the subconscious to produce digital abstract art. This change in approach happened primarily in response to my exposure to a specific piece of art… UNSIGS unsigned_algorithms by Alexander Watanabe blew my mind. Without going into details, I found the way that 'unsigs' generative colourscapes are experienced - to be profound. I would recommend becoming familiar with that work of art if you are not already. MY CREATIVE PROCESS Although I use digital creative means, everything is the result of individual processes I employ with intention. I’m not doing algorithmic generative, or AI prompt art. Nothing against those – they’re just not suitable for the personal consciousness inquiry I’m aiming for. That being said, I do not rule out some elements of my work could potentially include something of such means, but only as a small stage within a bigger creative process. I try not to limit my artistic tools, but what I create is of ME & my experiences of what it means to be alive. INTENTION I make art. It helps me to process the way I live & the reality of being me. I don't suppose or suggest that my art is globally 'important'. I don't think I'm answering a question that society requires. Yet still I put my art forward as worthy. Why is that? What I am trying to present is that sometimes small things, forgotten & overlooked things, can have equal claim to exist & to thrive: to be recorded & validated as a fragment of the total human experience. Sometimes edge cases are valuable, because of the insight they provide. My art is a visual language that I am attempting to learn & use simultaneously. It communicates as clearly as I am able something true about life. Each piece may be a letter, a sound, a word, a phrase, or a complete essay (or poem) in that language. You may learn something by contemplation of my art pieces in isolation. I would hope you may learn something more by experience of the wider body. Or not. That would be for the viewer to attest. BLOCKCHAIN & NFTS OK, so I've spoken on the what, the how, & something of the why of my creative process. But why NFTs, Cardano, & not on-chain? Firstly, existing & creating in the isolated niche that I do, it would be uncommon to say the least to find an audience. I don't suppose my purpose or output is of interest to most. NFTs are such a new space that new rules apply. New possibilities to reach people exist. Why Cardano? Cardano is my choice simply because (in my inexpert opinion) it's the best placed blockchain to be significantly meaningful in the widest possible sense for the longest possible time period. Other people can explain why that is better than I. ON-CHAIN ART In many ways the best case NFT art makes for itself is the developing on-chain movement. On-chain art is something genuinely new. The possibilities and potential boundaries for creation this brings are only just starting to be imagined. So why am I not doing that? In truth as an on-chain artist I could not achieve what I am attempting to create. I’m not a code artist. I also require the best version visually possible of my imagery. The constraints of on-chain would restrict rather than enhance my capacity to succeed in my artistic purpose. SUMMARY I make art in the best & most thoughtful way I can. I present that art to the world in the hope somehow it reaches people who find some meaning, comfort, or interest from it. Over time I would wish the body of work may tell a story that can offer insights that are worthy of note. That's my story. Apologies for the long text. Turns out I had a fair bit I wanted to say! Thank you for reading. - Tim_the_Sleeper