The art
Pourteaux was a pioneer of art on bitcoin, called "inscriptions." Considered a quirk at the time, Pourteaux described the minting of his #89 inscription and its controversies in an essay that helped lead to the meteoric rise of the protocol. Since then, tens of millions of new inscriptions have been added to the bitcoin blockchain.
As the nascent inscription ecosystem began to form, Pourteaux experimented with new concepts: partially-signed bitcoin transactions, bitcoin Dutch auctions, and collections.
Pourteaux pioneered two acclaimed collections as part of these early experiments:
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"Color Study" is the original collection by Pourteaux, that includes just ten 16-by-16 pixel explorations of color, cohesion, and depth. It gained acclaim as the first Dutch auction on bitcoin, and among the first to use partially-signed bitcoin transactions.
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"Pixels" was created shortly thereafter, and was one of the first inscription airdrops, with each "Color Study" holder receiving an inscription. Using an expanded 32-by-32 pixel canvas, Pourteaux further examined the interplay of color, shadow, and depth. With a collection size of just thirty, the supply of these inscriptions is quite limited.
Both "Color Study" and "Pixels" were hand crafted pixel-by-pixel, each artform representing a bespoke and unique digital creation. Every image is inscribed irreversibly on the bitcoin blockchain, ensuring their permanence across space and time.
