30: Parker Ito—Understanding the World through Images

In this episode, host Peter Bauman (Le Random's editor in chief) talks with Parker Ito about the multidisciplinary artist's path from late net art/post-Internet and “zombie formalism” to Solana’s artist-led avant scene. They dig into painterly, memetic, trait-rich collections, subtle “post-AI” tooling, ETH vs. Solana cultures, blind mints and scale. Plus why this moment rekindles faith in a new avant-garde.Monday's editorial: https://www.lerandom.art/editorial/claudia-hart-on-land-of-the-deadFriday's bonus editorial: www.lerandom.art/editorial/parker-ito-and-evil-biscuit-on-possessed-spiritsChapters 📖:[00:00:03]: Intro: Le Random, guests, Halloween release, Solana avant scene[00:02:02]: Silicon Valley art scene challenges and Node?[00:06:38]: Why Parker's internet-native work fits differently[00:09:31]: Solana avant versus backward-looking traditions[00:12:23]: ETH generative trends versus Solana’s post-AI approach[00:24:50]: Market worries, Forbes attention, audience alignment[00:30:54]: Iterations, generativity, and NFTs as raw expression[00:39:22]: Continuous work rooted in personal viewpoint[00:48:25]: Internet ideals, cynicism, and ambiguity[00:50:03]: Drilady’s crassness and personal significance[00:56:10]: ETH influx, schisms, and scene infighting[00:59:52]: Drilady’s place; Cheeto exhibition primacy[01:01:54]: Onboarding artists; misconceptions about NFTs[01:03:12]: Who knows the scene? Thanks and farewell

After releasing our London Digital Art Guide, a curated guide to London's digital art and culture, our editor in chief Peter Bauman is joined by the wonderful contributors who made the piece possible: Hannah Redler-Hawes, ‍Robert Alice, ‍Clara Che Wei Peh & ‍Abigail Miller. The panel unpacks London’s vibrant, intimate and collaborative digital art scene, from hidden gems and neighborhood walks to institutions, curators, and the city’s evolving role in global digital culture.See the London Digital Art Guide: https://www.lerandom.art/editorial/london-digital-art-guideSee the Art Walk Map: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1HpxjgPXiYhjJNhkX9wUYxIzFX8ysmM4&usp=sharingIt highlights the must-see galleries, neighborhoods and artists that shape the city’s renowned scene.Chapters 📖:[00:00:04]: Welcome and panel introductions[00:01:54]: Guide aims and Hannah Redler-Hawes's introduction[00:07:16]: Clara Che Wei Peh's Trip Planning section[00:14:20]: Robert Alice on Galleries, museums, and digital displays[00:21:07]: Abigail Miller on London artists across generations and schools[00:24:21]: Visitor itineraries for digital art lovers[00:28:18]: Unexpected spot: Science Museum games[00:30:31]: Art Date idea: Night ride under Leo Villoreal-lit bridges[00:32:20]: Institutions and on blockchain art[00:34:12]: Structural hurdles: conservation and mindset[00:37:09]: Curatorial realities and institutional capacity[00:41:43]: Closing thoughts and thanks

In this episode, host Peter Bauman (Le Random's editor in chief) and Conrad House (Le Random's Collection Lead) sit down with artist/curator Jared Madere (Yeche Lange, VVV) to trace his early Whitney break and the rise of the Solana avant scene. They unpack on-chain transparency, Drifella’s meme-native collage, and how new online collectors are shifting power and reimagining culture in real time.Chapters 📖[00:00:03]: Introduction[00:01:46]: On failure, transparency, and NFTs vs trad[00:03:47]: Early career, DIY spaces, Bed Stuy Love Affair[00:10:13]: Smithson’s influence and Glue Pour revelation[00:14:10]: Building immersive digital galleries beyond white cubes[00:17:24]: Post-COVID decentralization and culture sophistication[00:19:04]: Collage, hyper-politicized media, and online literacy[00:22:50]: Censorship, messaging, and bridging two worlds[00:29:35]: Daria controversy, hate speech, and context[00:34:52]: Gallery sterility vs messy online culture[00:35:58]: Why Yeche shows Biscuit and Drifella[00:37:36]: Nonfigurative shifts and VVV’s influence[00:40:43]: NFTs as portraiture and PFP structures[00:42:15]: Solana’s degenerate perversion vs ETH minimalism[00:44:15]: Communicating significance of Drifella[00:46:34]: Wretched Worm videos and hyper-online lives[00:49:11]: Fragmented politics and culture controllers[00:52:22]: Galleries closing, collectors shrinking, reshuffling[00:56:16]: Explaining avant appeal beyond irony[00:59:45]: Hashlips misuse and Drifella’s structural genius[01:05:30]: Galleries’ structural challenges and Yeche’s model[01:11:25]: Ambassadors, press, and new audiences[01:12:50]: Future collectors[01:13:38]: Building cool enough to attract attention[01:15:26]: Procedural art parallels in Drifella[01:16:08]: Yeche origins with 1/1s[01:22:29]: Miles Peyton collaboration and bespoke builds[01:24:15]: VVV’s purpose[01:26:30]: Yeche’s curation vs VVV’s permissionless culture (how they support one another)[01:28:46]: Crypto spending inversions and cultural demand[01:31:41]: Conflict, digital natives, and online-born culture[01:32:43]: Silicon Valley palates and palatable crypto art[01:42:32]: New political lenses and classed perspectives[01:44:20]: Art reflecting seismic cultural-technological shifts[01:45:06]: Thanks and closing remarks

In this Le Random third quarter round-up, Editor-in-Chief Peter Bauman sits down with thefunnyguys (Le Random co-founder & CEO) and Conrad House (collection lead) to reflect on the biggest shifts in digital art this past quarter.They discuss how Toledo Museum of Art’s Infinite Images exhibition signaled a new era of institutional support for digital art and how MoMA’s debut of Sasha Stiles’s A Living Poem brought art and emerging technologies into a major museum lobby. They debate the fallout from Christie’s restructuring its digital art department, share insights on the launch of Raster, thefunnyguys' new artist-profile aggregator and marketplace, and dive deep into the rise of the Solana Avant scene on VVV — from Parker Ito’s and Biscuit’s schizocollage aesthetic to the generational shift it represents.Plus market sentiment, favorites of the quarter and much, much more.Chapters 📖:[00:00:00]: Introduction and agenda for Q3 2025 recap[00:01:38]: Toledo Museum’s digital turn and Infinite Images[00:04:15]: Sasha Stiles: A Living Poem at MoMA[00:08:56]: Christie’s digital restructuring debate[00:15:48]: The team on Raster[00:23:02]: Solana avant scene spotlight[00:40:31]: Market sentiment: Number-go-up but complicated[00:54:18]: Le Random Q3 focus and strategy[00:54:35]: Commission-led collecting: Juan RG and Copper Giloth[00:56:19]: Raster and Le Random[00:59:52]: Editorial themes and 100th article milestone[01:01:28]: Favorites of the third quarter[01:01:59]: Favorite group shows and releases[01:05:42]: Favorite solo releases and shows[01:11:12]: Favorite artists[01:12:44]: Favorite acquisitions: Juan RG commission[01:16:08]: Favorite editorials: Jasia's 100th, DEAFBEEF, Minne Atairu interview[01:19:50]: Looking ahead: FEMGEN 4 and guides[01:22:58]: Closing thoughts and thanks

In this Le Random podcast, special Exhibition Discussion edition, our editor in chief Peter Bauman (Monk Antony) speaks to three exhibiting artists of Infinite Images at the Toledo Museum of Art.Those artists are Erick Calderon (Snowfro), founder of Art Blocks, Sofia Crespo from Entangled Others and Tyler Hobbs.Chapters 📖:[00:00:00] Introduction[00:01:22] Exhibition Insights[00:02:26] Artists' Perspectives on Practice and Generativity's Breadth[00:07:45] Historical Influences[00:10:41] Communicating with New Audiences[00:14:13] Collaborative Dynamics and Artistic Processes00:17:08] Figuration vs. Abstraction[00:19:38] Generative Systems and AI Art00:27:04] Hows Software and Art Are Evolving[00:34:44] Institutional Interest and Market Realities[00:38:25] Navigating Funding Cuts in US[00:40:28] Engaging New Audiences

In this conversation, the Le Random team reflects on 2025's noteworthy second quarter in digital art. Host Peter Bauman (editor in chief at Le Random) is joined by thefunnyguys (CEO) and Conrad House (Collection Lead).📖 Chapters[00:00]: Introduction and Podcast Overview[01:38]: Discussion on Digital Art Institutions[06:18]: New York as a Hub for Digital Art[10:50]: Le Random's Second Quarter Events (4)[27:17]: Favorites of the year: Exhibitions[32:58]: Notable Artworks and Projects[42:59]: Standout Acquisitions[48:00]: Favorite Editorials[51:42]: What we're looking forward to, especially Infinite Images at Toledo Museum of Art

This is Part I of our Deep Learning Series where Le Random's editor-in-chief Peter Bauman (Monk Antony) speaks with the most relevant figures in deep learning art. In this first installment, Peter speaks with two of the earliest artists to engage with the intersection of art and deep generative models, Tom White (dribnet) and Gene Kogan.They explore the artistic, philosophical and cultural implications of GANs and deep generative models, drawing on the artists' early experiences and perspectives in the field . The conversation touches on the origins of their interest in GANs, the evolution of AI and its perception, critiques of AI art, the nature of machine representations, and the connection between AI and decentralization.Chapters 📖:[00:00:00]: Introduction and Guest Overview[00:01:50]: First Encounters with GANs and Initial Excitement[00:04:04]: Gene's Journey with Machine Learning and Art[00:08:55]: The Rise of AI Twitter and Deep Learning Culture[00:12:04]: The Mission to Make AI Tools Accessible[00:17:56]: Changing Philosophies of Computation[00:21:54]: Critiques of AI in the Art World[00:27:42]: Tom's Algorithmic Gaze, Machine Perception & The Platonic Representation Hypothesis[00:34:00]: Art by AI for AI—Tom's Machine Representation & Phil's Hypothesis[00:37:49]: Decentralized AI and its Evolution[00:40:33]: Tom's Early Work at MIT and Interactive Graphics[00:43:13]: Final Thoughts

In this conversation, the Le Random team reflects on a noteworthy start to 2025 in digital art. Host Peter Bauman (Editor-in-Chief at Le Random) is joined by thefunnyguys (CEO) and Conrad House (Collection Lead).📖 Chapters00:00:00 – Introduction00:01:29 – AI Ethics & Artist Consent Debates00:04:31 – Legal Uncertainty & Fair Use00:06:55 – How Artists Are Using AI Tools00:08:14 – Redistributing Value Through New Models00:11:02 – Silicon Valley vs. Academic Roots of AI00:14:11 – The Power Imbalance in AI Development00:17:36 – Why AI Agents Fell Short This Quarter00:21:45 – Functional AI Agents & DAO Experiments00:27:17 – Rethinking NFTs in Digital Art00:33:11 – Institutional Misalignment: Case of Sam Spratt00:40:50 – Manolo’s Return to Generative Art00:46:51 – Protocol Art & January’s Highlights00:51:08 – Q1 Standout Exhibitions00:55:57 – Favorite Projects, Acquisitions & Looking Ahead

In this episode of the Le Random podcast, host Peter Bauman (Monk Antony), our editor-in-chief, coordinates a discussion on coordination. He is joined by very special guests Mitchell F Chan, Operator's Ania Catherine and Dejha Ti, matto from Material Protocol Arts and maltefr.The conversation explores both the contrasts and connections between these seemingly opposing emerging camps, reaching at the very heart of why artists choose to work on Ethereum—straight from the protocol's leading thinkers and practitioners.

In Part 3 of our Digital Curators Series, host Peter Bauman (Editor-in-Chief at Le Random) interviews Tate Modern's Val Ravaglia, a display specialist and the curator of Electric Dreams, Tate's major historical digital art exhibition which runs until June 1, 2025. Ravaglia is Curator, Displays & International Art at Tate Modern. Her curatorial work has focused on display for over twelve years. In addition to curating Le Random's exhibition of the year, Electric Dreams, Ravaglia assisted on Tate’s complete collection rehang in 2016. The conversation covers the complexities of digital art display from a major museum perspective. Links: Chapters 📖: [1:46] Audience Reactions to Electric Dreams [6:15] The Role of Display at Tate Modern [17:00] Challenges of Collection Displays [21:20] Displaying Digital Art: Unique Considerations [31:38] The Complexities of Displaying Electric Dreams [42:02] Best Practices for Exhibiting Digital Art [46:00] Advice for Artists and Exhibitors [50:35] Final Thoughts and Upcoming Events