Hands are a marvel of biological engineering, allowing us great agency to interact with the world around us and have consequence.

Holding On: an ongoing illustrative series. Moments of activity and ponderings on the human condition.

No AI elements involved. Handmade digital hand art, by 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

Art from a fractured consciousness. Narcolepsy is my door to spaces in between, and I share this path through a world less ordinary.

Holding On, by Tim_the_Sleeper

The world can be a confusing place, but you have greater capacity than you imagine.

Make It Count

Releasing as part of the Cardano Art Collective Mega Drop 2, in August 2023.

Five 1/1 interpretations of colourful psychedelic tie dye design. Created digitally, without AI prompt software.

Digital Tie Dye

“The moon is friend for the lonesome to talk to.”
― Carl Sandburg

No matter where or when you have lived, the same moon has shone down for us all. It has widely been associated with mysteries and magic. Throughout history cultures have seen that moon and imagined...

Moongazing is a series of digital images created by Tim_the_Sleeper. Each has been released as a small number of limited editions.

The creative process for Moongazing involved the artist photographing the moon multiple times, combining the photos to create a composite moon image, manipulating that image with digital software to create a particular visual 'look', and finally direct digital painting of the foreground silhouettes. No generative AI elements were involved.

In a standard year the moon will have between 12 and 13 full cycles. If a year includes 13 full moons, the month that has 2 is the month of a fabled 'blue moon'. Just so, the Moongazing collection consists of 12 primary images, plus one special extra.

All 13 moons have now been released. The 12 standard moons are editions of 10. The rare Blue Moon has just 5 editions.

NEW - You can now also browse the collection in a virtual 3d gallery environment - https://www.spatial.io/s/Moongazing-by-Tim_the_Sleeper-64a9fd63ef9f016700964a7d?share=5336127064366223241

Moongazing by Tim_the_Sleeper

Art from a fractured consciousness. Narcolepsy is my door to spaces in between, and I share this path through a world less ordinary.

Personally and individually crafted 1/1 abstract art (may employ elements of photography, digital collage and manipulations, or other non traditional 'drawing' in creation).

Each of the pieces in this collection were created in the latter portion of 2021. I then curated my work from that period into a single collection which I minted and released during 2022. Each piece includes the original creation month in the metadata.

This collection can also be viewed in a 3d gallery here: https://www.spatial.io/s/Tim_the_Sleeper-2022-Collection-6393159246047f0001701d29?share=2490735580909517942

Tim_the_Sleeper 2022

unsig_dreams were created by Tim_the_Sleeper in 2021 as 'remixed' art pieces from unsigned_algorithms, in the form of layered distortions of unsigs. Every unsig used as a creative start point was from the artist's personal collection or expressly permitted by the unsig owner (at time of creation).

Note - Although the creator of unsigned_algorithms is aware of and is not upset about unsig_dreams, this was not a collaboration and he is not connected with this art project.

"I have the rare neurological condition known as narcolepsy. In my case this is relatively severe and limits my life in many ways. A large portion of the time I exist in liminal states of consciousness, with false memories, hallucinations, microsleeping, dream intrusions, and other similar occurrences being common. In the summer of 2021 I discovered unsigned_algorithms, and found the colours and form combinations extremely captivating, but also calming. For whatever reason I found viewing them to help me relax and regulate my brain a little."

"I began to explore through visual manipulations my relationship with unsigs. Through this I realised that beyond just pleasing images my explorations of unsigs were representative of a deeper analysis. I am very motivated creatively by the complexity of emotions we all experience and how much of that happens at levels below immediate consciousness. The colours and shapes in unsigs seem like they can be a visual metaphor for this and that is one thing that attracts me to them. They became a perfect tool for my attempts at communication of complex lived experiences through art."

"The unsig_dreams project charts my presentations of this relationship with unsigs and exploring what they can mean."

-Tim_the_Sleeper

You can read more about unsig_dreams here: https://unsigdreams.art/

Many unsig_dream pieces were minted as numbered limited editions, which can make viewing the art here a little cumbersome. There is a wallet showing just each of the 53 unique images, which can be viewed here: https://pool.pm/addr1qyzsukqysq4y0p3ytyqgy9385llj69flqxnerr6e9a4d8nvedn2pg29k3cp6rsrq4tt35fa7v7ymsle4hymc39uv6cvqfdm3wp/%40e58cdf80

Holding On, by Tim_the_Sleeper

All Artworks (— items)