As Head of Curation, I'm constantly meeting with artists, curators, and collectors, introducing them to the Canvas. Each time, I'm struck by a moment of decision paralysis. Where should we start? Artists are often most interested in the quality of the display, the power of the hardware. Collectors want to hear about the vision of the curation and the significance of the artists we’re collaborating with. There is so much to share about Layer that choosing a starting point is no easy task.

No matter where the conversation begins, we always find our way to the experience that most directly conveys the magic of the Canvas: responsive generative art, brought to life by the GPU tucked behind that killer display. I’ll hand the person an iPad with the Layer controller app open and get to watch joy and disbelief cross their face as the art responds right before their eyes.

In Malformed by Lake Heckaman, dragging a single scale slider zooms from a galactic panorama down into macrophotographic detail, shifting between a view of the cosmos and a feeling of liquid metal. In Chroma Current by Jason Ting, a hue adjustment sends a river of light cascading into a chosen color, transforming the scene with a simple touch.

Disinformation (Source) by Jeres exposes a Density parameter that lets collectors phase between compositions with a dense topographic feel and ones that resemble sparse strands of material. Dissonant Oscillation by dist.cs lets you dial the detail up and down, from smooth coastal swells to pulsating banks of nimbostratus—all the apparatus of the artist.

I never get tired of the look on people’s faces when they see these choices come to life. Time armours the eye against wonder, but uncovering a hidden facet of an artwork—something no one else may have ever before stumbled across—is a surefire way to reconnect with your sense of awe.