# The Artist

<figure><img src="https://3119668965-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FI4tUSuDILp94UsWevegz%2Fuploads%2F1hHP9UY8N2YCX0zvxbfr%2FMatto.jpg?alt=media&#x26;token=79941b3e-9a0b-41c1-b814-4492bfe49014" alt=""><figcaption><p>Tintype photograph by <a href="https://www.lightmatterstudio.com/">Will Harlan Campbell</a></p></figcaption></figure>

I go by Matto. I'll keep this succinct and relevant to this project. I have an MFA in Film and Computer Animation. Although I first started to code when I was like, 5, things got interesting when I discovered processing in the early 2000s when trying to create generative visuals for films.

I worked in education from 2003-2015, and besides that whole out-of-college being an adult, I kept a low profile socially. In 2015 I published some novels and started making custom board games.

Then NFTs happened. I had the seed of the idea for Chainlife in 2018, and in 2020 I started to experiment and learn the skills needed to make it a reality. Since then, I...

* discovered Art Blocks and released [Enso](https://www.artblocks.io/collections/presents/projects/0xa7d8d9ef8d8ce8992df33d8b8cf4aebabd5bd270/34) and [FOCUS](https://www.artblocks.io/collections/presents/projects/0xa7d8d9ef8d8ce8992df33d8b8cf4aebabd5bd270/181)...
* tried to co-found a next-gen minting platform to support Chainlife (it didn't work out)...
* retaught myself solidity and launched [BLONKS](https://blonks.xyz/)...
* experimented with smart contract composability / interactivity and launched [deFOCUSed](https://matto.xyz/project/defocused/) and [Texture and Hues](https://matto.xyz/project/texture-and-hues/)...
* and finally, with a talented [dev. team](https://www.drakewest.dev/), I'm launching [Chainlife](https://chainlife.xyz/) on my own next-gen platform!

(I'll write more about the platform later, but yeah - I'm literally just getting started here!)