Loom is the fxhash debut project by Andreas Rau, a German-Norwegian generative artist who has since found much acclaim. In Loom, Rau explores textile inspirations that add tactile sensations to generative art. Given how early Loom appeared on fxhash (it was the 79th project), its sophistication stunned early collectors, many of whom continue accumulating iterations from this 480 piece project to this day.

The remarkable physical dimension created by Loom was achieved, at least in part, by paying tribute to artisinal weavers and textile artists. The masters who worked with textiles and traditional crafts, such as Anni Albers and Hilma Af Klint, are forebearers of the “work in the making” style Rau hoped to achieve with Loom. Each Loom might represent a textile board upon which Albers or Gunta Stoelzl would have woven artworks.

Each Loom possesses a defined, clear structure reminiscent of the Bauhaus period that Rau used to sketch early versions of Loom back in 2020. After working out palettes based on Albers and Gunta Stoelzl, Rau turned to two other women who influenced and shaped his work since his formative days. In the artworks of Hilma Af Klint and Sophie Taeuber-Arp, both pioneers of abstract art, Rau found his missing palettes. Hilmas, as they’re affectionately known, are the collection’s grails as they only appear seven times and are marked by a stunning and vibrant etude of colors. In contrast, Sophies are more restrained and arguably warmer.

Loom #479 (Sophie palette)

Today, few collectors have managed to collect the complete set — Sophie, Hilma, Anni, Gunta — but it’s still something every Loom collector craves after. Some believe each palette represents a different season or cycle in life. However, you should discover a personal meaning behind each palette for yourself.

Loom #223 (Hilma palette)

Another highly desired trait has to do with borders. Some Loom iterations have wide borders, while thin borders outline others, and a whopping two iterations show no border at all. Additionally, the grid between textile patches (seen as fine lines) disappears in a few iterations with the show grid = false trait.

Gridless Loom outputs are beloved for their clean aesthetics. In a way, history backs this view up. Weavers use guidelines similar to the ones found in border = wide, show grid = true outputs to make their work easier, but only the most skillful weavers can produce their incredible work without grids or wide borders at all. It's these analogs that add depth and overall warmth to the digital work's appeal, and keeps collectors coming back to this top fxhash Icon.