Generative Art Finds Its Prodigy

Post by jrowen » Wed, Sep 12, 2018, 9:36 PM UTC

holdenc wrote: post #110

resu_nimda wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks for the comments. My understanding was that generative was synonymous with algorithmic/programmatic. Was not aware of op art but I certainly see the connection.

I played with this a little more. And, it likely is more generative than my first impression. Especially the Spiral example that seems to transform the composition almost autonomously. Not sure how serious you are about it, but I think it's definitely some of the better programatic art I have seen, speaking from a fine art/academic perspective here. It's very reductive and simple, and deals with some very basic relat…

The spiral mode was discovered entirely by accident, when I introduced a bug into the translation/rotation code. What you see when first entering the mode (or using the o6 preset) is pretty much exactly what I saw then. I sat there giggling uncontrollably; it was so bizarre and unexpected, yet compelling. In that sense I would agree that it is the most generative mode. From there I continued developing the tools to modulate and navigate it to find other interesting parts. I realized it was becoming a kind of fractal viewer.

I don't have a formal background in art, but based on what I have seen in this area, I do think the project is somewhat novel and worthy of interest, and I have ideas about how it could be adapted into an interactive gallery installation (each mode projected onto a different wall, each with a custom physical control panel). I have hesitated to share it so far because of a few issues on the technical side (untenable framerate on slower machines, UI is broken on mobile). I'm also not sure the UX is dialed, I want it to be minimal and somewhat mysterious, inviting the user to play with the controls, but not so cryptic that they give up before seeing what it can do, hence the somewhat inelegant tutorial bubbles (I started with a simple pulsing glow on certain buttons but people didn't even notice it).

If you have any suggestions or thoughts on these matters I would be all ears :) jamesrowen@gmail.com

Post by tern » Thu, Sep 13, 2018, 6:31 PM UTC

hodwic wrote: post #109

tern wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm curious how your theory of art deals with minimalism and conceptual art. I suspect you'd have to admit that mid-century we collectively expanded the definition of beauty to include modern ideas – structure, process – and expressions of irony.

As for irony, ask any art historian with experience in middle ages or late antiquity art. She'll tell you that it has always been a popular device in the arts. The problem with "irony", where this common myth about its novelty comes from, is that Irony is invisible to generations separated by time and place. To see irony in a work of antiquity requires a significant amount of education in the circumstances of that wo…

Many thanks for the explanation – you've illuminated a path to a deeper understanding of art history and aesthetics, which I hope one day to possess!

Re: Generative Art Finds Its Prodigy

Re: Generative Art Finds Its Prodigy