Takens Theorem 𝕏 M
BioCreative projects [ assets ]
Selected writings
Featured in
Some Collecting & [ 1 2 ]
"Collectors," from Reflective Recursion (2022)
"Collectors," from Reflective Recursion (2022)
"Deposits," from Ethstory (2021)
I'm a cryptothematic data analyst, visualist, writer. When entering the space several years ago, I created early data interfaces for crypto projects, such as an early recommender system for NFTs in 2019. I often share visualizations on 𝕏, on themes about time and scale, interconnectedness, and technical developments. A passion is exploring the relationship between cold raw data and human cultural experiences, especially with a focus on the transformative potential for cryptographic and blockchain technology.
I developed experimental 100% on-chain and interactive NFT projects, such as the_coin, Gaussian Timepieces and The Mesh.
My projects also include expressive data visualization, representing the structure and dynamics of raw on-chain data: Ethstory, Indivisuals, and Reflective Recursion.
Several of these projects have had charitable fundraising goals, including for 501(c)(3) charities devoted to helping communities most in need. Projects have raised over 60 ETH for charity (see donation section in Ethstory and the_coin links below).
Writing and visualization have been featured in OpenSea blog, Coindesk, NFT Now, and Etherscan blog and more.
Gaussian Timepieces (2021)
From a JPG profile: "His visual pieces challenge the divide between data and art and operate such that their aesthetic variations - their axes, colors, orientations, and scales - all map in some way to specific elements of data."
A list of CIDs for IPFS-based projects is at the bottom of this page. All are welcomed to pin CIDs too to help preserve assets.
project (tx 1 date, issuance ⛓ 100% on-chain) [ links ]
Ethstory (3/6/2021, n=110)
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A study of Ethereum's history in 16 visuals rendered directly from raw data, mostly on chain representations of its history and elements of its potential future. Pieces were released on OpenSea's OPENSTORE token (ERC-1155). Owners have access to unlocked content that includes links to IPFS files, including a vector-quality PDF representation that is encrypted with a password that only owners receive. Each piece includes a unique, individual PDF rendering encrypted with a unique password.
the_coin (6/24/2021, n=84 ⛓)
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100% on-chain SVGs rendered by ERC-721 contract coded by Takens. Pieces are drawn from data or theory of Bitcoin, offering a visual representation of its core definition, history and possible future. Token metadata and each piece rendered by tokenURI() function without need for external scripts or websites. Owners can interact with the contract via changeStyle() and alter the underlying CSS of their pieces, giving the original visual a "base layer" identity to be built upon.
Gaussian Timepieces (9/12/2021, n=100 ⛓)
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100% on-chain study of time and blockchain. Unique ERC-721 contract renders a "timepiece" that encapsulates stochastic representations of time on chain, along with visual representations of an owner's on-chain NFT collection, base fee, current blocks, and more. When timepieces cycle, their colors change.
The Mesh (2/27/2022, n=72 ⛓)
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100% on-chain NFT project that visualizes the social connectivity intrinsic to blockchain data. Each visualization is called a "node," and displays some properties of its owner, such as how many NFTs its owner has (background size and color), and when that owner has similar NFTs to others on The Mesh (shown with connections across tokens). But The Mesh is more than this. It's a fusion of a social network, a DAO and NFT to create a kind of integrated on-chain experience.
layer_two (5/16/2022, n=∞ ⛓)
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For collectors of the_coin to mint, and all can collect. Experimental "second-order" NFT: layer_two calls the_coin token's on-chain data to create new visualizations, little tapestries more complex and curious. layer_two tokens are also 100% on-chain, an expression of expanding, diversifying crypto ecosystems, built on top of each other, fusing into new forms.
Reflective Recursion (6/19/2022, n=12)
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Released on KnownOrigin, encapsulating major themes of cryptoart communities through thousands of data points. Visualizations rendered directly from raw data with minimal transformation. Almost all variation is in some way mapped onto a specific, tangible data point. Inspired by my 2021 Ethstory project: "Carved out of data: As much as possible, everything should be data driven. Only in rare cases did I depart from generating a visual directly from data, and use aesthetics untethered from it."
New Home (9/8/2022, n=3)
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A new contract released on Manifold for the "New Home of the Heart" collection released on Sep. 12th, 2022. Coordinated and curated by Stateful Works, JPG, and Sofia Garcia, the collection commemorates and supports development on the Ethereum blockchain in conjunction with The Merge. Token #1 is my contribution to their collection, signifying the structural changes in The Merge through Ethereum's data about time and energy.
ourData(ERC-1155) (2/12/2023, n=5)
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An experimental, interactive project. Your mints, your actions on chain are collaborations with me. Our data determine the final piece. We raised almost 2 ETH for the Ahbap contract, supplying humanitarian relief after the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. A little study of the conceptual richness of just a bit of on-chain data. All visuals use precisely the same data, and are (mostly) deterministically rendered under different rules. This results in a consistent rhetoric (“flows of support”), but with different conceptual material: growth, cellular encapsulation, and circuitry.
Metrix (3/19/2023 ₿, n=42 ⛓)
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Bitcoin ordinals project, released on generative.xyz. A playful, interactive project about the intrinsic aesthetics of data, expressed through blockchain and its metrics. "Metrix" visually encodes a numeric history revealed on Bitcoin's public blockchain. The palettes capture various events of its history. Bitcoin's metrics yield diverse patterns like looking into a kaleidoscope. Metrics become colorful assays of a new financial system.
Identity_{i/j/k} (7/7/2023, n=3)
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Contribution to the G/L Space on SuperRare, expressing interconnections in an expanding concept of identity. The visuals go along with a wonderful and elaborate summary led by hex6c and Chiara Braidotti in a project that visualizes and introduces web3 concepts.
Perpetual (11/19/2023/∞, n=∞ ⛓)
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"Creator and collectors are now interwoven into a little machine. And unlike its patrons, that little machine lives forever." Perpetual is playful, organic and consistent with my prior creative themes; I may sometimes release updates without announcing them. I myself will participate and mint. Everything, including the allowlist for minting, is on-chain. On a monthly interval, holders of prior projects can mint new works. Forever, even after the contract infers I have left the space.
layer_two (2022), experimental second-order NFT
"Early Harvest," from Indivisuals (2021)
"Next," from New Home (2022)
"Miner 1," base & mod from the_coin (2021)
The Mesh (2022)
Chainleft's history of dynamic NFTs
Metrix #7 (2023): interact: n, 1-6, i, r
Though several projects are 100% on-chain, stored in their contract, I also use the IPFS model for many projects, often expressive data visualizations with large assets. The CIDs below point to main assets, and also to versions of project HTMLs and more. I welcome any pinning.