Snake Alley

Snake Alley is a place in my neighborhood where the sidewalk is narrowly bounded by low-hanging branches on one side and a steep ditch one the other. I have seen countless snakes dart across the sidewalk there at dusk.

I always wind up at Snake Alley, wearing sandals, at dusk.

This generative system creates unique outputs for each hash. The compositions are organized like spokes through a series of concentric rings, like the Dharmachakra, however these are twisted and centered around an out-spiraling function. Higher-torque versions look more twisted and gnarled, while low-torque versions look like rays emanating from the center.

A number of branches connect each outer ring with its adjacent, inner ring. The layers of branches fill the space with low, medium, or high density - full of circles drawn from the outer layers to the innermost layer. The circles themselves are small or large, within each output.

Fifteen color palettes named after different kinds of snakes were used to lightly color the edges, each drawn with equal likelihood. The titles and colors were adapted from different snake species, typically variants found in the southeastern US, when different colorations occur in other regions. The coral, corn, and milk snakes around Charleston have similar coloration in nature, and their similar color gradients reflect this fact.

I originally composed this artwork in the R Statistics language. I translated the system to p5.js for the one-year anniversary of fxhash. Proceeds from sales will go to Processing.org, the organization that is developing p5.js. #fxhashturnsone

Verified NFT collectors can purchase a fine art print for their unique token at vadenart.com

About the artist: Kenny Vaden is a generative artist based in Charleston, SC. His art experience included drawing, painting, stained glass apprenticeships, and nature photography. Vaden’s code-based artworks are available online as limited edition or single edition fine art prints, as well as NFTs on Quantum.art, Flamingo DAO Flutter, OpenSea, Objkt, fxhash, and Foundation. More information about the artist and artwork is available on vadenart.com