In the realm of digital artistry, John Provencher's exhibition at Verse in London serves as a testament to the medium's undulating boundaries and the narrative potential of generative systems.
His dual series, "HAHA" and "over-time," are not just digital by nature but are deeply interwoven with the fabric of the internet's architecture, employing its fundamental components to craft a narrative that transcends the binary limitations of traditional net art. In Provencher's creative universe, dot matrices and checkboxes are elevated to a primary palette, redefining the canvas of web interfaces with the same gravitas as oil on canvas in the Renaissance.
"HAHA" and "over-time" distill the essence of Provencher's fascination: the democratizing power of self-publishing afforded by web3's indelible ledger, and the beauty of algorithmic chance within generative systems. These series are more than visual spectacles; they are cerebral engagements, each iteration a unique genesis of a moment in time, captured through the meticulous programming of lissajous forms. The pieces are bound by the concept of perpetual adaptation, mirroring the internet's own Darwinian evolution. This reflection is most palpable in "over-time," where each rendering is tailored to its digital environment, and "HAHA," where the physicality of NFTs is wittily translated into tangible prints, infusing digital transactions with corporeal permanence.
Provencher's exploration of the Lissajou curve transcends mere mathematical curiosity; it is an odyssey through shape and form, striving to imprint imperfection upon the unyielding exactness of the pixel grid. Through this lens, one begins to discern the undercurrents of his work—coded scripts that yearn to harness light and shadow, striving to encapsulate the ephemerality of technological progress. This journey through algorithmic complexity yields an unexpected kinship with concrete poetry, where form usurps the conventional primacy of words. Within "HAHA," this relationship finds its zenith, as Provencher's custom typeface merges the graphical with the textual, constructing lissajous forms from characters, a subtle nod to the misunderstood nature of NFTs and the internet's own lexicon.
In "over-time," the artist's homage to Alexei Shulgin's "Form Art," we find an intricate dance between dithering and lissajous figures, a choreography set against the chromatic simplicity of the early web. These pieces are intentionally crafted for the web's ephemeral stage, each interaction a distinct performance, contingent on the digital environment's whims. Provencher's works act as a beacon within the vast digital expanse, illuminating the fragile yet profound connections between code, color, and form, reminding us that in the digital realm, creation and impermanence are inextricably intertwined.
