In the realm of generative art, where creativity intertwines with code, Piter Pasma is a luminary making waves with his thought-provoking artworks. Hailing from the Netherlands, Piter's unique journey into the world of art and technology has shaped his distinct approach to creation. I had the pleasure of delving into his background and discussing his highly anticipated Art Blocks project, Skulptuur.
Piter's artistic journey began with a passion for drawing, particularly cartoons. This early love for visual design and his innate talent laid the foundation for his future endeavors. However, it was his fascination with computers as creative instruments that truly set him on a transformative path. Coding became a part of Piter's life at a young age, and his early experiments in programming ignited a lifelong fascination with the possibilities of digital art.
It was during his involvement in the demoscene, an international computer art subculture, that Piter's exploration of generative art began. The demoscene provided a platform for showcasing programming, visual art, and musical skills through self-contained computer programs known as demos. Piter's innovative spirit shone as he released prize-winning 4k demos, captivating audiences at demoparties, where artists and creators converged to share their art and celebrate the craft. This immersive experience further fueled Piter's passion for generative art.
While his involvement in the demoscene introduced Piter to the concept of generative art, he felt a yearning to create aesthetically impactful works that pushed boundaries. This desire led him to explore the intersection of Computational Science, Machine Learning, and creative coding. Piter's artistic practice evolved over time, culminating in a fusion of mathematics, technology, and visual aesthetics.
Piter's artistic practice took a transformative turn when he acquired a plotter, a device that drew lines but couldn't erase previous ones. This limitation sparked a new wave of creativity, forcing Piter to adapt his approach and develop innovative techniques. He devised a program he calls a "rayhatcher" that utilizes raymarching to create intricate hatched drawings of 3D forms defined by Signed Distance Functions (SDFs). This fusion of technology and artistic expression added a unique layer of depth and sophistication to Piter's works.
In addition to his artistic endeavors, Piter has been actively involved in fostering a vibrant generative art community. He spearheaded Genuary, a month-long generative art project that challenged participants to create a new piece of generative art every day for a month. Collaborating with the Generative Artists Club, Piter organized this ambitious project, which garnered widespread participation and inspired countless artists to push their creative boundaries. The success of Genuary not only highlighted the dedication and talent within the generative art community but also provided an opportunity for artists to refine their skills and witness remarkable growth.
As Piter ventured further into the world of digital art, the concept of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) caught his attention. Initially encountering the concept through Rare Pepe's, he admits to a sense of puzzlement surrounding the ownership of a digital asset. It was Dmitri Cherniak's release of "Ringers" on Art Blocks that truly illuminated the potential of NFTs for Piter. Suddenly, he recognized that this was the culmination of a lifelong journey—a medium perfectly suited for his creative vision.
His experience in the European demoscene of the late 1990s continues to drive his pursuit of technical excellence, manipulating each pixel with complex mathematical equations in as few characters of code as possible. With this mastery, Pasma is able to create photorealistic renderings.
With Skulptuur, his highly anticipated Art Blocks project, Piter ventures deeper into the NFT realm, presenting a fusion of art, coding, and technology. This upcoming collection promises to captivate audiences with its unique blend of visual aesthetics and computational intricacy. Piter's dedication to exploring the possibilities of generative art and pushing the boundaries of perception is sure to leave an indelible mark on the ever-evolving landscape of digital creativity.
Skulptuur's genesis can be traced back to Piter's encounter with Inigo Quilez's enlightening article on Monte Carlo pathtracing. The concepts and techniques described within fascinated him, leading him to experiment with CPU-based implementations. While the results were impressive, Piter's thirst for pushing the boundaries of realism remained unquenched. His drive to achieve photorealistic outcomes using path tracing ultimately led him to develop a WebGL2 skeleton code, breathing life into Skulptuur's mesmerizing visual landscape.
For collectors, Skulptuur offers a treasure trove of surprises. Uniquely shaped combinations yield captivating forms, evoking a sense of awe and discovery. Each artwork presents an opportunity to uncover unexpected and emergent effects from the interplay of light. The interplay of reflective and diffuse surfaces creates stunning caustics and backlighting that elevate the visual experience.
Beyond the visual marvels, Piter invites collectors to explore the source code behind Skulptuur. Even if one is unfamiliar with coding, witnessing the sheer elegance and efficiency packed into a mere 6,370 bytes of text is a testament to Piter's mastery. It serves as a reminder of the immense creativity that can emerge from concise lines of code. Furthermore, nestled within the code lies a hidden gem—an expression of gratitude to Piter's friends, a heartfelt tribute to their invaluable support and collaboration throughout the project.
Skulptuur is a collection that invites collectors to embark on a journey of visual exploration, where each artwork is a testament to the power of generative art to captivate the imagination and redefine artistic expression.
“It can produce things that you cannot even predict before letting the algorithm run its course. This complex artificial life is what truly captivates me.” #PASMA
Nina Knaack