Rob Dixon, better known as Radix, turns code into generative art that’s as mind-bending as it is beautiful. Based in Marin County, California, Radix has spent decades experimenting at the intersection of art, code, and video game design. His work has shown up everywhere from Marfa to Paris, and even in the metaverse where he co-created the popular Decentraland game WonderZone.
Radix’s first Art Blocks drop, "Inspirals,” invites viewers into a hypnotic loop of movement and meditative focus. The intricate patterns demand a closer look, pulling you deeper into the infinite possibilities of geometry. His “Eccentrics” series came next, where he explored the limitations of rules and symmetry in patterns. His latest collection, “Exposures,” was released on MakersPlace in collaboration with the Miami Digital Art Fair in early December 2024.
This interview took place at the lounge at the Thunderbird Marfa during Marfa Art Blocks Weekend, where Radix shared insights into his creative process and his thoughts on the intersection of generative art and storytelling.
Note: This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.
OpenSea: What initially drew you to the world of generative art?
Radix: I’ve always enjoyed doing artwork, even as a kid, but I was on that career path where my parents said, “No, that’s not a career.” So, I went into software development and engineering. Then, in the late ’90s, I started moving into game development, where I was very art-focused. I eventually took a job at Adobe working on Adobe Flash. At that point, I was able to create art and animations as part of that team to test things out. I really got into it and just started doing it for fun at the time since there wasn’t really a market for it. I stuck with game development until 2020, when I learned about Art Blocks and everything changed.
OpenSea: How have your relationships in the generative art world evolved alongside your art?
Radix: When I learned about Art Blocks, it was like a lightbulb went off. I started seeing people doing things similar to what I had done in the past, things I never thought anyone would see or enjoy. But here were people enjoying it — and even paying for it — which was amazing. I immediately dropped everything I was doing and spent all my spare time coming up with generative art pieces. I contacted ArtBlocks and worked with them for a couple of months until they agreed to do the “Inspirals” drop as a curated collection. That really introduced me to long-form generative art, which has its own unique challenges and variations. It completely changed my practice moving forward.
OpenSea: Talk to me a little bit more about your practice. What tools and platforms do you use?
Radix: When I create work, I usually start with a concept, something I want to convey. It could be as simple as wanting something bright and animated to make people feel happy when they see it. But in my more recent series, I’ve been aiming for deeper themes and trying to create pieces with more impact. Once I have the concept, I figure out the right tool set. Since software is my main medium, I have a lot of options. For example, there are tools like p5.js, which are 2D-focused, or three.js and Babylon, which are more 3D-focused. My current process has evolved to include all of those tools, so I can choose what best fits the concept. I often start with a 3D idea, render it in different ways, look at it from multiple angles, and work to create the most compelling compositions and renderings possible.

OpenSea: Do you find yourself continuously revising or tweaking your work, or do you reach a clear stopping point?
Radix: In code-based generative art, the process is all about consistent, constant refinement. You start with something that’s beginning to look good like it’s coming together. Then you tweak a little detail, run ten more outputs, maybe a hundred, and see how they turn out.
By the time I finish working on a series, I’ve usually gone through thousands of test outputs. Each one involves a decision — this one’s a keeper, this feature works, or this didn’t quite land, so let’s tweak it. For example, in my latest series, I started with about 200 possible color palettes. After refining and seeing how each one felt to me and others, I cut that down to 100 for the final collection. It’s a long process of exploring each option, considering what emotions it evokes, and deciding if it fits the vision for the series.
OpenSea: You’ve talked about parameters and tools in your process, but what’s your usual starting point — an idea, an algorithm, a visual concept?
Radix: These days, when I'm starting, I really do try to start from concept. I ask, “What is it that I'd like to convey in this work?” In the earlier days, I would just kind of monkey around with stuff and see, "Oh, this looks cool. Can I make something cool? Could I do an extra style, a repeating pattern on a plane?” That kind of thing. These days, I really focus more on what the composition is going to be. Is that going to be interesting, just the composition itself? Then, can I add colors? Do I want it to be somber? Do I want it to be bright? A lot of times, for code-based generative art series, you want that mix. So, you want some to come out feeling more black-and-white, and others that come out bright and airy and fun. There's a lot of variety in them, but it's all coming from the initial concept of, "Here's what I'm trying to say with this series.”
OpenSea: Can you tell us about your upcoming collection, “Exposures,” and its inspiration?
Radix: “Exposures” is my next collection. It's really trying to push the envelope a little bit in terms of what I can do with having art with an impact that’s code-based, on-chain, and generative. I’ve taken 3D figures that are animated and poseable and embedded them into the data within the works. There are figures placed throughout the pieces in different poses, and I really want the works to tell a story. So, for example, you might see two people in very different poses — one’s on their phone, completely distracted, while the other’s dancing around. You kind of look at that and ask, "What’s going on? Who are these people? What are they doing?" I think that’s something I haven’t been able to do before in my generative artworks, which have mostly been abstract. I’m trying to tell a story with these figures but also with the composition in general — the colors, the figures navigating these really bright, vivid, digital landscapes, but also feeling kind of lost in them at the same time. I’m making a statement about what happens when we’re all on our phones all day, living in these digital worlds. What’s that doing to us? Can I convey some of that — the good and the bad? These technologies are opening up new worlds to us, but at the same time, they’re distracting us and making us miss the real stuff that’s happening around us.

OpenSea: As someone working with evolving technologies, what’s your perspective on the future of generative art? Are you feeling positive or foreboding?
Radix: Yeah, generative art moving forward is going to take an interesting path. I think there are a couple of ways it’s going to evolve.
One thing I’m trying to do in my new series is create art that people don’t have to understand how it was made. That’s a big shift for code-based generative art because, so often, the series focuses on the technology itself—how it was built and how it looks across all the variations.
I think we’re heading toward a point where the process behind the creation becomes invisible, and the artwork stands on its own. With AI coming into play, it adds a whole new dimension. For the most part, it’s still about the art, but I really love what some artists are doing—taking their earlier works and running them through their own AI process.
I think it’s all getting there, and AI will just become another tool in the artist’s toolkit. Overall, I’m optimistic about where this digital art world is headed and how it’s starting to cross over into the mainstream art world.
OpenSea: What does being in Marfa for Art Blocks Weekend mean to you?
Radix: Visiting Marfa is super interesting, especially as an artist. For so many of us generative artists, especially those of us who've been doing this for 20 years, Art Blocks was such a game changer. It really opened up code-based artwork to everyone who hadn't seen it before. We owe a lot to Art Blocks, and the community that's formed around all of this has been amazing. There was the boom and bust, of course, with the marketplace stuff, but in the end, the crew—the collectors, the artists, and everyone behind it—has been really supportive. They're all still here and ready for what's next. I think it's just a great time to be part of this.
OpenSea: Where can people find your work online?
Radix: You can find me on X (Twitter) at @RobDixon, on Instagram at @rdix, and my website is radixart.io.
OpenSea: Thank you for taking the time to share your insights!
Radix: Thank you for the opportunity; it’s been great!