Art for Meditation: A Conversation with MCHX

Listen to the Dive playlist here.

For our audience who isn’t already familiar with you, can you give us a little background about yourself? How did you come to generative art?

I was born in Kazakhstan, and I’m living in Georgia right now. I am a self-taught artist, exploring digital art and creativity since 2017. I’m mostly focusing on generative art.

I came to generative art through Graphic Design and front-end development. Initially, I planned to create websites. I was working on my first website exploring CSS animation techniques when I learned about web art and creative coding, where I discovered the works of influential figures such as Zach Lieberman, Rafael Rozendaal, Jan Robert Leegte, and others.

I was deeply inspired by the idea of creating art using code, so I started to experiment and create. But to be honest, back in 2019, I had no one to share my ideas and vision with, so I switched to digital art and AI. In the summer of 2022, I felt like getting back to coding again, and since then, I've been dedicating most of my time to it.

Among all forms of creative expression, generative art brings me the greatest joy and fulfillment. I feel that I can authentically express myself and my ideas through code. The idea of being able to create something existent, an experience, out of basically nothing, just symbols in a code editor, really inspires me.

Among all forms of creative expression, generative art brings me the greatest joy and fulfillment. I feel that I can authentically express myself and my ideas through code. - MCHX

What motivates you to continue exploring generative art? Is there anything you feel is entirely unique to your approach to generative art?

I am motivated mostly by my own ideas. Generative art is a free medium; your possibilities are only limited by your skills, which is why I always strive to improve. The coding process itself surprises me every time. Working with code, one has to learn new techniques, which always expands my consciousness and gives rise to fresh ideas. It is a very exciting journey.

Working with text is quite challenging for me. I find it hard to process, so my approach to code is very intuitive and experimental. When I first started learning GLSL, I would take a snippet of code and play with it, adjusting parameters to see what happened. This experimental approach is reflected in how I create my work. Typically, when a new idea for a piece pops up in my mind, I try to capture it in some way, for example, by creating a sketch or painting.

Then, I would start learning new techniques, not necessarily directly related to my initial idea, just something I like or something that might come in handy. Progressively, through this process of learning and experimenting, a new piece reminiscent of those initial sketches is born. I consistently practice, and sometimes, in the process, some truly interesting discoveries occur that can then be developed into a full-fledged artwork.

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Can you elaborate on the concept behind your fxhash 2.0 release, Dive? Talk us through some aspects of the technical and creative processes used for this work.

Work on Dive began about a year ago. At that time, I was living in Batumi, near the sea, and almost every evening, I would go to watch the sunset. I especially liked the days when the horizon seemed to dissolve, and the sky merged with the sea, creating the illusion of a distant, infinite space. I enjoyed these moments and took photos. And at some point, I wanted to do something similar using code.

However, my goal was not to recreate pictures of the sea at sunset. Rather, I wanted to create a visual experience that, resembling a natural phenomenon, would still be abstract and invite viewers to immerse themselves.

Initially, this work was divided into several different files, containing different color sets based on my moods and states of the sea that I wanted to show. Then, I decided to connect them all together into a long-form artwork. I like creating different modes or variants of artwork and then mixing everything with random. I think it's exciting and always surprising to see all these different outputs.

Dive is also part of the “this.generation” exhibition at Sunaparanta Art Centre in Goa, India. I created a hardcoded version of the artwork for the exhibition, in which all the color modes are interchanging in time. It has its own room and is projected on a big wall. I got some great reviews on this work from people who saw it IRL, I am really happy about it.

I especially liked the days when the horizon seemed to dissolve, and the sky merged with the sea, creating the illusion of a distant, infinite space. - MCHX

See Dive live here.

You often use bold and bright colors in your work, why is that? How do you envision the audience interact with your work?

I love the sensations evoked by bright, intense color hues. I love watching how they change over time, that peculiar electrical effect when certain shades of color mix on the screen. I love achieving the radiance of a specific color within a composition. I always want color to captivate me, to sweep away my thoughts and alter my state. Yet, my work must also have a serene side; there must be a balance.

That's why I love animation - it allows me to orchestrate transitions between states of excitement and tranquility repeatedly. I spend a lot of time with my pieces. I meditate on them.

I believe that my works are quite universal in terms of the situations in which they can be interacted with. They can be watched with music while being alone or even played on a second screen while working, to turn one’s attention to it from time to time in order to have a break. They can be projected onto a large screen at parties to create a vibe. I'm very interested to know how people view my works, and what place generative art occupies in people's lives.

I'm very interested to know how people view my works, and what place generative art occupies in people's lives. - MCHX

How do you see your practice evolving in the context of generative art and NFTs? What future do you envision for yourself as a generative artist?

Generative art and NFTs are both very challenging fields, but efforts always bear fruit. That's why I constantly strive to grow, learn, and hone my skills. This applies not only to the creative process itself but also to expanding my knowledge in the world of technology and art in general, communication with people, and self-presentation. Now, I’m interested in exploring blockchain and NFTs specifically as a medium. I would like to create a piece that truly lives on the blockchain, responding to it. It would be cool if such work would have an additional meaning like, for example, connecting all its collectors in some way.

I always want to be independent, hone my skills and do what I love. I would like to see my work displayed IRL on a screen in a public place. I want my artworks to reach a broader audience and for people to enjoy looking at them. I would like my works to evoke emotions.

Where do you see this medium going in the next 5, 10, or 20 years? Is institutional acceptance important to you?

I think generative art is also unique in its flexibility, making it a medium with the potential to become one of the most independent forms of art. Blockchain and social media provide great opportunities for artists. And now we see how generative artists gather in small groups and create their own exhibitions and events. I really like it. I hope that various foundations and organizations on the blockchain will support such initiatives, I think this can take us far.

As for institutes and museums, I think the process of acceptance is already happening, just not as quickly as we would like. This is due to not only the perspectives and opinions of people in this field but also the development of technology and lack of information. On the other hand, it's natural for contemporary art to face questions, skepticism, and discontent. This has always been the case in the history of art with many new movements. Honestly, I even think that the issue may not lie in generative art itself but rather in distrust towards blockchain, NFTs, and new technology in general. At least, that's the impression I get from my interactions with people.

It would be wonderful if a major museum showed interest in my work, but I won't change anything in my practice solely for that purpose.

I think generative art is also unique in its flexibility, making it a medium with the potential to become one of the most independent forms of art. - MCHX

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Do you collect generative art from other artists as well? What do you like, or what types of work appeal to you most?

Yes, I collect generative art as well, I wish I could collect more. I like colorful stuff, sometimes minimalistic, mostly abstract artwork. I am really an impulsive collector.

How much do you think about the chain your artwork is minted on? Does it matter to you now, and do you think this will be more or less important in the future as blockchains evolve?

Yes, of course, it's important to choose the right platform. But when making decisions, I primarily look at what's happening at the moment, what's right for me. Maybe this is short-sighted, but we still have too little experience to speculate and make assumptions about how this or that blockchain will develop. I really hope, though, that we will always have a choice.

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Anton Dubrovin (aka MCHX) is a digital artist from Kazakhstan, currently based in Georgia. With the help of graphic programs, coding, and AI, he experiments with colors and form. Inspired by the works and ideas of 20th-century abstract artists and especially the color-field movement, he uses color as a universal channel of emotional connection and self-exploration. His work has been exhibited at Galerie-Gruelich Frankfurt, NEORT ++ Tokyo, Kunsthalle Zurich, Vne Muzeya Saint Petersburgh, and Neal Digital Gallery Hangzhou.

Dive by MCHX will be released on fxhash on December 20.