fxGems is curated by Haiver. Follow on Twitter and Mastodon for recommendations, and sign up for email notifications on Substack for when a new issue drops. To support the work, collect a copy of this issue or past issues, or consider minting one of my generative pieces here on fx(hash).

At just over a year old, the history of fx(hash) is not very long, but it has quickly established itself as the largest platform for generative art on the blockchain. And the biggest month in fx(hash)'s brief time was, by far, December 2021.

Within thirty-one days, budding and established generative artists released 3622 new projects — that averages out to 116 new projects per day (compared to about 30-40 per day a year later)! If you were trying to collect at the time, it took a lot of effort to stay on top of it all. And to look back on that giant body of work even now is to get buried in a sea of projects.

One of the main goals of fxGems is to highlight generative art projects so they don't get lost in the never ending feed of new work. This is especially vital when it comes to smaller works and early-career artists. But little did I know, when I took on the task of curating the best projects from that December, that it would be one of the hardest things I did this year — over a hundred hours of work, tired eyes, and a constantly looming sense of decision fatigue.

But the amount of great art released in that brief time is inspiring to behold. It stands as a monument to the incredible new art movement we're a part of. So come with me as we explore the best art from the early days of fx(hash) — from projects you forgot even existed. Some real gems await!

It's important to note that fxGems is not a ranked list. One part of good curation is putting pieces in conversation with one another, so each numbered mint featured here has been carefully selected, then ordered into groups of twos and threes to create a dialogue between the different projects. Like a good museum show, there are juxtapositions and echoes, recurring themes and visual motifs; a thread has been woven throughout for the keen-eyed viewer to find.

If you're looking for more recommendations, check out Part II of this list, the four part abstract Best of List, and the multiple issues gathering all of the many Honorable Mentions, covering December 2021.

Garden, Monoliths by zancan

reborn by mrkswcz

Alien Chip by Kali

Soldering Infinity by flockaroo

Planet Panels by p4stoboy

Intergalactic Planetary by meodai

WORMS / Breeding Season by AEVIN

dg5721() by Cyril Diagne

HashType by William Ngan

The Conjured by goldcat

pneumas by jeres

Down the Drain by Alan Smithee

sway by Johan Holwerda

Autumn Tree by Matthieu Segret

Almost Habitable Planets by Kali

Planets by orbitanaut

р uι by Schiacci

Fire Card by monokai

Mei(梅) by random_combo

forsaken by Jinyao Lin

COSOS by lumartinez

Arbitrary Vessels by Orr Kislev

Endless Random Architecture by 0xm4_0

Deep Space II by ge1doot

Christmas Tree by Matthieu Segret

Creepy Christmas Tree For You! by wasntmeow

Snow Globe by Geomi

Ugly Sweaters by Estienne

HNY 2022 by Aleksandra

fxGems is not affiliated with fx(hash) or fx(text) (hence the lack of parentheses), and none of the recommendations herein should be construed as financial advice. We’re here to celebrate the art!

Each month I go one by one through all of the projects that dropped on fx(hash) to find the strongest, most compelling work — generative art that has a unique voice, a wide variety across its many mints, and an intriguing approach to algorithms and technique.

So don't forget to subscribe, follow, and collect ;)