Twos: Artifacts

In 2012 while I studied graphic design and typography, I decided the number “2” was the most beautifully formed character - the drama of the swoop into a point that trails off.. the grace and weight of it.

TWOS: ARTIFACTS DISPLAYS SOME OF THE MEDIUMS I’VE USED TO REPRESENT THE 2 OVER A SPAN OF 10 YEARS, FROM 2012 TO 2022.

I became obsessive about finding the ideal 2, the exact linework that would accentuate the inherent beauty in the numeral. Over the years, I’ve returned to my ideal 2 as a go-to mark for creative endeavors - carving it in wood, graffitiing it on lamp posts, sculpting it out of sand.

Eventually I digitized the form, allowing for quick experimentation of linework, color, warp, and repetition. I realized the two was perfectly suited to a generative project which would put its form through a further test. I manually cropped, colored, and multiplied the two, studies which would inform the rules of a generative algorithm.

After a long journey across many mediums and 10 years of development, Twos, the generative algorithm, will be released on Art Blocks on October 30th. The collection revisits my captivation with this character object, using the algorithm as a tool for continued obsession and exploration. I want people to experience the outputs and never see a “2” in the same way again. I also want to remind viewers that exquisiteness can exist in any mundane thing.