In the dynamic realm where art converges with technology, few names have carved a niche as distinct as Matt DesLauriers. A generative artist of remarkable depth, DesLauriers translates programming logic into captivating visual narratives. His approach is neither purely digital nor strictly conceptual—it is an intricate synthesis of algorithmic structure and creative intuition.
DesLauriers’ artworks, far from being confined to online galleries, have graced prestigious venues including the Louvre Museum in Paris and the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto. These exhibitions reflect not only the aesthetic merit of his pieces but also the growing acceptance of code-based creativity in mainstream artistic discourse. In 2023, DesLauriers transitioned his practice from screen to page with the release of his first book, Meridian, a printed anthology that celebrates his generative masterpieces in a tangible format.
Meridian: A Landscape of Infinite Generative Possibilities
In the ever-evolving arena of digital art, where boundaries between code and canvas blur into abstraction, Meridian by Matt DesLauriers emerges as a milestone in creative technology. Developed through the blockchain-based platform Art Blocks, Meridian comprises 1,000 individually unique generative artworks. Unlike traditional works that follow a fixed form and medium, each piece in this collection is the result of an intricate, real-time computational process.
At the core of Meridian is a custom-built JavaScript engine that orchestrates complex visual compositions. This engine acts as a set of algorithmic instructions—code that interprets data, applies parameters, and draws virtual strokes that mimic organic techniques. The result is a set of abstract landforms resembling layers of sediment, erosion, and tectonic formation, rich with visual depth and subtle texture.
Every artwork in the Meridian series is tied to a specific blockchain transaction, meaning that each minting event triggers a new artwork that has never existed before and will never be duplicated. Even the artist has no control over the outcome once the minting process begins. This element of unpredictability isn't just a quirk—it's a foundational concept, embedding the creative act within randomness, spontaneity, and generative logic.
The Algorithm as Artist: Crafting Emotion Through Code
Generative art often raises the question of authorship—where does the artist end and the machine begin? In Meridian, the artist is both programmer and conductor. DesLauriers’ code is not a static blueprint but a dynamic system, capable of interpreting mathematical instructions into visual phenomena that evoke emotion, memory, and even a sense of place.
By layering thousands of strokes—lines, dashes, gradients, and simulated textures—the code produces visuals that can resemble geological formations, organic terrain, or abstract tapestries. These visuals tap into the human psyche’s fascination with natural forms, yet they are entirely artificial, built on logic rather than brushstrokes.
Despite being code-based, the artworks don’t feel cold or mechanical. Instead, they resonate with warmth, introspection, and contemplative rhythm. This is a testament to DesLauriers’ mastery not only of programming but of visual storytelling. He leverages randomness and precision in equal measure, letting the artwork breathe, evolve, and surprise both artist and audience.
Minting as Creative Act: The Role of the Collector
What makes Meridian particularly revolutionary is the role of the collector in the creative process. In traditional art, collectors acquire completed pieces. In generative blockchain art, collectors participate in the creation itself. When someone mints a Meridian token, the code runs anew, generating a previously unseen image. This image becomes uniquely associated with that token and permanently embedded into the blockchain ledger.
This act transforms passive spectators into active participants. The collector’s engagement becomes a final brushstroke—an invisible but essential part of the artistic process. This phenomenon challenges historical paradigms of authorship and ownership, asking the audience to reconsider what it means to own art in a digital age.
Additionally, the randomness inherent in the minting process echoes themes found in nature, such as chaos, entropy, and emergence. This draws a philosophical parallel between digital systems and natural processes, suggesting that creativity is not confined to the human mind but can emerge from systems and sequences as well.
Material Aesthetics: Evoking the Tangibility of Analog Media
One of the most compelling aspects of Meridian’s visual language is its allusion to physical media. The code-driven compositions are designed to resemble textures and strokes familiar from traditional techniques—charcoal smudges, gouache washes, or the distinctive marks of linocut printing. This simulated tactility bridges a perceptual gap, inviting viewers to engage with the digital in the same way they might with print or canvas.
The visual density of each piece varies, sometimes minimalist and ethereal, other times complex and densely layered. Color palettes shift from earthy neutrals to iridescent gradients, chosen by algorithmic variables that introduce infinite visual permutations. These palettes are not arbitrary—they are deeply informed by DesLauriers’ aesthetic sensitivity, preprogrammed with potential harmony and contrast that the system can deploy autonomously.
The use of layering and spatial depth reinforces a sense of dimensionality that belies the flat screen. It invites viewers to dwell, to examine, and to immerse themselves in the intricacies of algorithmically generated beauty. The illusion of texture evokes a kind of digital tactility—a contradiction that only generative code can uniquely embody.
Code as Narrative: Embedded Stories Within Structure
While abstract in form, many Meridian pieces carry a quiet narrative—lines flow like rivers, colors stack like sediment, and shapes echo topographies we associate with memory and geography. Though not representational in the conventional sense, the artworks provoke emotional and spatial associations.
DesLauriers has carefully built a system where code becomes story. Each visual artifact is a narrative moment within an evolving system. The act of viewing a Meridian piece is akin to reading a visual poem, where interpretation is open-ended but rooted in the logic of structure. Viewers might see ancient landscapes, flowing fields, or even imagined planets—but what they see is not prescribed.
This narrative openness enhances engagement and longevity. A single piece can be revisited repeatedly, offering new interpretations and emotional resonances with each viewing. The storytelling emerges not from content but from form, balance, rhythm, and nuance—elements that DesLauriers has meticulously engineered into the framework of the generative code.
Community and Connection: Decentralization and Curation
Beyond the art itself, Meridian represents a powerful case study in decentralized art ecosystems. The project lives on the Ethereum blockchain, hosted on Art Blocks, a platform designed specifically for on-chain generative creativity. The entire structure of Meridian exists not on private servers or traditional galleries but within a decentralized, transparent system.
What distinguishes this further is the involvement of the Art Blocks community in curating the collection. Specific sections of Meridian’s accompanying book include selections chosen by token holders—an act of democratic engagement rarely seen in fine art publishing. This interaction between artist, platform, and collector forms a kind of cultural triangulation, reinforcing the sense of shared ownership and stewardship over the artwork’s legacy.
Meridian is not simply a one-way broadcast of creative expression—it is a dialogue. Through ownership, discussion, display, and curation, collectors become stewards of the artwork, contributing to its public perception and long-term cultural relevance. This participatory dynamic enriches the experience and helps shift art away from isolated genius toward collaborative, networked creativity.
A New Paradigm for Digital Art History
Meridian sits at the frontier of a movement redefining the nature of art itself. It challenges us to reconsider the source of creativity, the value of unpredictability, and the role of code in shaping aesthetics. It invites a shift in how we think about ownership, originality, and authenticity in an increasingly digital world.
This collection is not just an artistic statement but a contribution to cultural memory. As more artists explore the space between algorithm and art, projects like Meridian will stand as seminal benchmarks. They demonstrate that code can be emotional, that randomness can be purposeful, and that art can exist equally in digital and physical domains.
The long-term legacy of Meridian will be measured not only by the beauty of its outputs but by its success in carving out a new space for algorithmic creativity to thrive. As the lines continue to blur between programmer and painter, between collector and collaborator, between artwork and artifact, Meridian offers clarity. It shows that in the 21st century, the most meaningful art might not be painted with a brush—but written, line by line, in code.
A Collaborative Vision: Bringing Meridian to Print with monopo london
In a world where digital experiences dominate visual culture, translating a code-based art project like Meridian into a tactile, printed artefact required more than reproduction—it demanded interpretation. The transition from screen to paper meant reimagining what generative art could become when stripped of interactivity and rendered static. For Matt DesLauriers, this transformation was not merely logistical; it was conceptual. To realize this vision, he turned to monopo london, a studio known for its narrative sensibilities and design precision.
monopo london, the UK outpost of a Tokyo-founded creative agency, brought a multifaceted approach to the project. Under the meticulous direction of Mason El Hage, and supported by graphic designer Jorie Einarsen and producer Maud Dedecker, the team sought not just to present Meridian’s generative works, but to elevate them—to craft a print experience that preserved the randomness and refinement of the original code while introducing a new level of intimacy and permanence.
Designing for Silence and Stillness: The Visual Philosophy
The challenge in designing the Meridian book was to maintain the energy and dynamism of algorithmically generated art, while translating that energy into a quiet, physical format. The team at monopo london approached this with a refined aesthetic sensibility. Rather than over-designing the layout, they adopted an approach that emphasized space, rhythm, and material restraint.
Each artwork was given generous room to breathe on the page. White space became a critical design element, allowing the reader’s eye to settle and wander. This was not a conventional catalog or archive; it was a curated gallery in book form, where the act of turning a page felt deliberate and meditative.
Typography played a subtle but essential role. Fonts were selected not to draw attention but to complement the artwork's logic. Grid systems were used intuitively, not mechanically, echoing the algorithmic structures of the artworks without rigid mimicry. This created a quiet symphony between structure and spontaneity, reinforcing the generative spirit of the original code.
Translating Code into Paper: Material as Medium
The choice of paper, binding, and print technique was foundational to Meridian’s physical identity. monopo london worked closely with Vetro Editions to select materials that not only supported the visual quality of the artworks but also heightened the sensory engagement of the book. The paper was chosen for its weight and tactility, providing a subtle resistance under the fingertips—a counterpoint to the frictionless glide of digital screens.
The printing process itself was approached with reverence. Rich pigment saturation, precise color calibration, and meticulous alignment ensured that each page held a true reflection of the digital original. Yet, the physical format allowed for a new kind of presence. Shadows between pages, textures in print, and the softness of bound paper imbued the works with gravity and permanence that digital screens could never replicate.
This physical embodiment of digital art invites prolonged viewing and re-viewing. It slows down time, asking the reader to engage not just with the visuals, but with the object as a whole. Meridian, in print, becomes not only a book but a sculpture—an artifact imbued with artistic presence.
Interdisciplinary Synergy: The Art of Collaboration
At the core of this project was a rare kind of creative harmony. DesLauriers provided more than source material; he was an active participant in the design process. The dialogue between the artist and the design team was fluid and exploratory, based on mutual respect and shared vision.
Every decision—from page sequence to typographic placement—was informed by an understanding of both the artwork and its generative origins. DesLauriers’ insight into how the algorithm functioned informed how the book was structured, and the monopo team responded with layouts that mirrored the balance of control and chaos inherent in the code.
This interdisciplinary approach blurred traditional boundaries. The role of designer became curatorial; the role of artist became editorial. Together, the team authored a cohesive experience that honored the autonomy of each Meridian piece while framing it within a broader visual and conceptual architecture.
Celebrating Variation: The Mystery of Four Covers
A central idea in Meridian’s original generative concept was unpredictability—each minted piece was unique, and its form unknown until the moment of creation. This element of chance was carried into the print edition through the release of four distinct book covers, each featuring a different artwork from the collection.
Buyers did not know in advance which cover design they would receive, turning each book into a small surprise. This choice reinforced the central themes of randomness and variation, reminding readers that even within a curated artefact, spontaneity plays a vital role. The act of owning Meridian extended beyond the pages—it began at the very surface, with a cover that held a different version of the same story.
These covers were not decorative alternatives. They were emblematic of the project’s essence, extending the generative principle into the physical construction of the book itself. In doing so, the publication blurred the line between limited-edition print and algorithmic art object.
Aesthetic Tension Between Precision and Chaos
What sets the Meridian book apart from most digital-to-print art publications is its ability to hold tension—between code and craft, chaos and composition, randomness and intention. The book does not seek to explain the generative process in didactic terms. Instead, it evokes the emotional logic behind it, using design as a narrative medium.
There is a subtle choreography in how the visuals unfold across the pages. Early spreads introduce readers to simpler compositions, setting the tone with minimalist palettes and gentle geometries. As the book progresses, the layouts become more layered, reflecting the increasing complexity of the artworks. This escalation is not coincidental; it mirrors the evolution of algorithmic behavior, deepening the reader’s immersion.
Essays and process notes are carefully spaced throughout, offering context without intrusion. They provide insights into the technology, philosophy, and community that shaped Meridian, yet they never dominate the page. Like the artworks, the texts are placed with restraint and intention, allowing meaning to emerge gradually.
Objecthood and Presence: A Digital Artefact Reimagined
The Meridian book is not merely a collection of images or a documentation of a blockchain project—it is a conceptual object in its own right. It occupies a rare space where digital design is granted physical gravity. It acts as a bridge between intangible code and real-world experience.
This objecthood transforms Meridian from a web-based phenomenon into a collectible, something that can be displayed, gifted, and archived. It brings permanence to an otherwise ephemeral medium. And in doing so, it speaks to a deeper human desire: to hold, to own, and to revisit beauty in a physical form.
In a cultural moment obsessed with speed and novelty, Meridian invites stillness. It offers a return to slow looking and careful reading. It is a visual respite—a reminder that even in the age of automation, art can ask us to pause, to pay attention, and to connect more deeply.
Manifesting the Digital: Tactility and Material Innovation
In an era dominated by ephemeral media and transient digital interactions, the Meridian book represents a deliberate inversion of digital impermanence. By translating generative code into a substantial, tactile object, Matt DesLauriers and his collaborators have crafted a publication that speaks to both the mind and the senses. This volume, published by Vetro Editions, reclaims the slowness, presence, and gravity often absent from screen-based works. It reinvents what digital art can be in print—something lasting, meditative, and multisensory.
Spanning 240 pages of large-format visuals, Meridian is more than an art book—it is a topographic journey through algorithmic terrain. Each page offers an encounter with one of DesLauriers’ generative compositions, allowing viewers to explore every textural nuance, every code-rendered line. Interspersed throughout are reflective essays, process narratives, and insights curated by both the artist and the global digital art community. Together, these elements form a visual and intellectual constellation that bridges generative creativity and material design.
Embracing Space: The Aesthetic Power of Layout
The visual structure of Meridian reveals a precise sensitivity to layout. Instead of overwhelming readers with dense image clusters or typographic overlays, the design adopts a minimalist language—elevating white space to a tool of focus. Each composition is positioned with intent, allowing the reader to appreciate its intricacy without distraction.
This careful use of negative space offers breathing room, reinforcing the sense that these artworks demand not haste but contemplation. Visual pacing becomes integral to the reader’s experience, guiding the eye fluidly across layered images and understated text. It is a quiet, almost architectural approach to book design that honors the visual cadence of generative code.
The layout avoids conventional linearity. Some pages offer full-bleed artwork that envelops the reader; others present scaled-down fragments that highlight technical structure. These shifts in presentation echo the very unpredictability inherent in the algorithmic systems that birthed the images. This visual rhythm is not just aesthetically pleasing—it is a form of narrative, one that unfolds page by page.
Community-Driven Curation: Collective Interpretation of Digital Art
Integral to the Meridian book is its participatory spirit. While curated by DesLauriers and the design team at monopo london, the book also features a chapter fully shaped by the Art Blocks community. Owners of Meridian tokens were invited to vote on their favorite generative pieces, which were then compiled into a chapter that reflects the preferences and passions of the collector base.
This approach decentralizes artistic authority, bringing a democratic layer to the book’s editorial process. It recognizes that digital collectors are more than spectators—they are engaged curators in their own right. This inclusion deepens the meaning of the artworks, adding layers of emotional resonance that transcend their visual form.
In parallel, DesLauriers and the monopo team contributed their own favorites, offering personal insights and interpretations. These selections provide a dual perspective: one from the originator and one from the broader audience. The result is a multifaceted portrait of the Meridian project, enriched by diversity of thought, taste, and interpretation.
The RISO Print: A Bridge Between Algorithm and Artisan
One of the most distinctive features of Meridian’s print release was the inclusion of a RISO print with each pre-ordered copy. Far from being a generic insert, this print was produced using the exact same generative code used to create the Meridian artworks. Each was signed by DesLauriers, lending a sense of intimacy and authentication rarely found in algorithmic art publications.
The RISO process—an analog technique known for its layered color application and tactile surface—was a deliberate choice. It echoed the aesthetic of the digital pieces while introducing organic imperfections inherent to the print method. The fusion of algorithmic precision with handmade texture formed a compelling dialectic, where digital instructions met physical unpredictability.
These prints were not replicas but singular iterations, adding artistic variation and reinforcing the core philosophy of Meridian: that no two outputs are alike. By giving readers a physical expression of the algorithm, DesLauriers invited them to connect with his code on a tangible level—to not only view it, but to hold a fragment of its generative history.
Rewarding Ownership: Reconnecting the Physical and Digital
Beyond design and production, Meridian also innovated in how it acknowledged and rewarded digital ownership. Every individual who held a Meridian token on the Art Blocks platform was gifted a copy of the book. This decision served multiple purposes: it rewarded loyalty, bridged virtual and physical value, and created a shared object that united a decentralized community.
In a time when discussions around NFTs often fixate on volatility and speculation, this gesture introduced a counter-narrative—one centered on stewardship, appreciation, and relational value. The physical book became a symbol of connection between DesLauriers and his audience, extending the artwork’s reach into the lived spaces of collectors.
The physicality of the book enabled it to function as more than a product; it became a vessel of identity for the Meridian community. The act of gifting aligned with broader principles of digital generosity and cultural sustainability, embedding emotional value into the act of collecting.
Design as Ritual: Slowness in a Hyperconnected World
Meridian’s print edition is an invitation to slow down. In contrast to the immediacy of digital media, where images flash past in endless scrolls, the book creates a sanctuary of focused attention. The heavy stock pages resist haste. The spreads require time. The RISO print insists on tactile engagement. These design choices challenge our cultural tendency to consume and discard visual experiences quickly.
By privileging materiality and temporality, Meridian aligns itself with a form of slow design—a philosophy that values quality over speed, intentionality over convenience. It reminds readers that even in a world mediated by algorithms, beauty still requires presence and patience to fully appreciate.
The process of opening the book, turning its pages, and discovering its artwork mirrors the act of code-based creation itself: methodical, unpredictable, and deeply layered. Meridian thus becomes a ritual object—its value growing not just from its content, but from the slowness it encourages.
Toward a New Standard for Digital Art Publishing
In publishing Meridian, Vetro Editions and monopo london did not simply produce a book—they redefined what a publication can be in the digital art era. They demonstrated that with the right intention and craftsmanship, generative code can transcend screens and live meaningfully in the physical world.
This work sets a new benchmark for how digital art projects can be translated into print, not as static documentation but as extensions of the original creative act. Every element—from community-curated chapters to paper selection, from layout rhythm to RISO print inclusion—serves the purpose of reinforcing the artwork’s conceptual core.
Meridian has opened a new chapter in generative art history, one where digital creation is no longer confined to the browser window. Instead, it exists as a tactile, shareable, enduring artefact—part record, part relic, part future. The book is proof that code, when thoughtfully interpreted, can move off-screen and into the spaces where art has always mattered most: our hands, our shelves, our conversations.
Visual Surprise: A Quartet of Covers
An especially notable feature of the book is its cover design—four unique variations were produced, each generated through different executions of the Meridian algorithm. Buyers were unaware of which cover they would receive until it arrived, echoing the project’s original ethos of randomness and chance.
This design decision transforms the book into an object of curiosity and anticipation. Each edition becomes a collectible in its own right, infused with the same unpredictable charm as the digital artworks themselves. The cover variants extend the generative principle beyond the pages and into the physical construction of the book itself.
According to Mason El Hage, the goal was to produce a volume that could be admired not only through visual appreciation but also through touch, weight, and texture. The materials selected were carefully curated to convey richness without excess, allowing the artworks to speak clearly and resonantly.
Bridging Realms: The Hybridization of Art and Ownership
As the digital art world matures beyond the initial fervor of NFTs, projects like Meridian propose a more sustainable and meaningful model. Instead of relying solely on digital novelty, Meridian offers a hybrid experience that respects the permanence of print and the versatility of digital assets.
This hybridization is not a marketing gimmick but a reflection of a broader cultural movement. Artists and collectors alike are seeking deeper engagement with the works they create and acquire. The physical dimension of Meridian transforms ownership from an abstract notion into a grounded, sensory experience.
For collectors, owning a Meridian token now means possessing a multifaceted artefact—one part digital, one part tangible. This union redefines value and authenticity in the generative art space, rooting conceptual art in the everyday experience of flipping pages, handling prints, and displaying books.
Cultural Legacy and the Evolution of Generative Art
Meridian stands as a pivotal moment in the broader narrative of generative art. For years, this form of creativity lived in the shadows of traditional mediums, despite its deep historical roots in algorithmic experimentation. With the proliferation of blockchain technology and platforms like Art Blocks, generative art has found new legitimacy and visibility.
The Meridian book encapsulates this cultural shift. It is not just a retrospective of DesLauriers’ work; it is a chronicle of an art form coming into its own. By codifying these artworks in a permanent, printed format, the book offers a roadmap for future projects that wish to transcend the limits of their original medium.
This publication is also an educational tool. Through detailed essays and visual annotations, it provides insights into the creative process, offering readers a window into the technical, philosophical, and emotional underpinnings of generative design. It demystifies the algorithms while celebrating their unpredictability.
Reinventing Collecting Through Community
Another distinguishing feature of Meridian is its participatory design. By involving the Art Blocks community in the curation process and offering the book to token holders, DesLauriers challenged traditional hierarchies of authorship. The project acknowledges that in the age of decentralization, artists and audiences are collaborators, not just creator and observer.
This spirit of inclusion turns the book into a communal artefact. It reflects collective tastes, shared moments, and a mutual appreciation for the generative aesthetic. In a market where scarcity often dictates value, Meridian redefines rarity through relationship and narrative.
The limited-edition inserts and the unpredictable covers underscore the notion that each reader’s experience is uniquely theirs. These small touches accumulate to create an ecosystem of meaning that extends far beyond the pages of a typical art book.
A Testament to the Power of Code
At its core, Meridian is a reminder that code is more than utility—it is language, poetry, and potential. Through precise syntax and creative vision, DesLauriers transforms simple instructions into profound visuals. His work invites us to reconsider our definitions of craftsmanship and originality.
Rather than eliminating the human element, the algorithm enhances it. Each Meridian piece is a collaboration between artist, machine, and circumstance. This triangulation results in artwork that is at once structured and serendipitous, technical and emotive.
As contemporary culture continues to grapple with the implications of automation and digital immersion, Meridian offers a hopeful perspective. It affirms that creativity persists in all mediums, and that meaning can be found in even the most systematic forms.
Final Thoughts:
Meridian is not just a book or a collection of generative images—it is a philosophical statement, an archival record, and a vision for what creative practice can become when traditional boundaries are dissolved. In a time where the intersection of art and technology is often treated with either inflated hype or undue skepticism, Matt DesLauriers has delivered something grounded, thoughtful, and enduring. Meridian is a rare example of a digital-native project that successfully transcends its original medium and finds new meaning in physical form.
What makes Meridian exceptional is its multidimensional approach. It is built on a foundation of code, executed with the unpredictability of generative logic, elevated by curatorial precision, and materialized through expert craftsmanship. Every element of the project—from the custom JavaScript code that generates the imagery to the paper texture and layout of the printed book—has been carefully considered. This unity of concept and execution is what gives the project its quiet power.
The collaboration with monopo london elevated the book into an object of reverence and reflection. It is not simply an album of artworks but a curated experience where visuals and essays, community and curation, randomness and order live side by side. It embraces contradiction and transforms it into harmony—machine-generated but deeply human, digitally conceived but physically tangible.
Meridian also exemplifies the future of collecting. By acknowledging and rewarding token holders with tangible artefacts, the project recognizes the emotional and cultural investment of its community. It doesn't treat digital and physical as separate spheres but binds them together, reinforcing the value of both. It also paves the way for a new kind of collector—not defined by wealth or exclusivity but by participation, appreciation, and engagement.
In the long narrative of art history, moments like these stand as quiet revolutions. Meridian captures the spirit of an era that is reimagining authorship, redefining beauty, and rediscovering the poetry of systems. It will be remembered not just for its visuals, but for how it made people feel—curious, connected, and part of something far greater than a single artwork or object.
