Algorithmic art, also known as algorithm art, refers to artistic creations, predominantly visual, where the design is systematically generated through an algorithm. Practitioners in this field are often termed algorists. This art manifests in various forms, including digital paintings, sculptures, interactive installations, and musical compositions.
The principles underlying algorithmic art are not novel. Islamic art, for instance, exemplifies a historical tradition of pattern generation guided by predefined rules. Furthermore, the ancient craft of weaving incorporates fundamental elements akin to algorithmic art.
The evolution of computing technology has concurrently fostered the development of computer-generated art forms. Algorithmic art promotes artistic exploration, enabling creators to expand their imaginative boundaries within the digital era. It facilitates the production of complex patterns and designs that would be exceedingly difficult to render manually. While artists define the input parameters, they do not directly control the final aesthetic outcome.
Overview
Algorithmic art, frequently referred to as computer-generated art, constitutes a subcategory of generative art—defined by its creation via autonomous systems—and shares connections with systems art, which is informed by systems theory. Fractal art serves as a prominent illustration of algorithmic art, characterized by its abstract and captivating visual qualities.
Generating an image of adequate resolution using even basic algorithms necessitates extensive computation, rendering manual execution impractical. Consequently, these algorithms are processed on either individual computers or computational clusters. The resulting output is commonly presented on a computer monitor, reproduced by a raster printer, or rendered by a plotter. The incorporation of pseudo-random numbers can introduce variability into the artistic outcome. A definitional debate persists regarding whether algorithmic products derived from existing images or inputs other than pseudo-random numbers should be classified as computer-generated art or merely computer-assisted art.
History
Roman Verostko posits that Islamic geometric patterns are fundamentally algorithmically constructed. He extends this argument to Italian Renaissance paintings, noting their reliance on mathematical principles, specifically linear perspective and proportion.
The initial documented instances of computer-generated algorithmic art emerged in the early 1960s, attributed to pioneers such as Georg Nees, Frieder Nake, A. Michael Noll, Manfred Mohr, and Vera Molnár. These early works, produced by computer-controlled plotters, were classified as computer-generated art rather than digital art. The artistic process primarily involved programming the sequence of operations for the plotter. In 1970, Sonia Landy Sheridan founded the Generative Systems program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, responding to societal shifts influenced by the computer-robot communications revolution. Her foundational explorations in copier and telematic art investigated the distinctions between manual artistic creation and algorithmic processes.
Subsequent to the continuous contributions of Roman Verostko and other algorists, fractal artworks from the mid-to-late 1980s represent the next significant development. These works are notable for their distinct execution method: unlike earlier algorithmic art "drawn" by plotters, fractal art generates images directly within computer memory, thus qualifying as digital art. The intrinsic format of fractal art, like most equation art and contemporary algorithmic art, is a computer-stored image. Nevertheless, in a more stringent interpretation, "fractal art" is often not categorized as algorithmic art because the underlying algorithm is not conceived by the artist.
Amidst these evolving advancements, pioneering algorithmic artist Ernest Edmonds has chronicled art's enduring predictive influence on human society. He traces the historical connection between art and computing from the early 1960s to the contemporary era, where algorithms are now broadly acknowledged as a pivotal concept across society.
Rational Approaches to Art
Art, while deeply intertwined with emotional and psychological dimensions, also relies significantly on rational methodologies. To produce compelling artwork, artists must master diverse tools, theories, and techniques. Consequently, numerous artistic techniques have been developed historically to achieve distinct visual effects. For instance, Georges-Pierre Seurat pioneered pointillism, a painting method characterized by the juxtaposition of complementary color dots. Cubism and Color Theory similarly played pivotal roles in revolutionizing visual arts. Cubism entailed synthesizing multiple reference points of an object to generate a two-dimensional representation. Color Theory, which posits that all colors derive from combinations of the three primary colors (Red, Green, and Blue), further advanced the application of color in visual arts and the production of unique chromatic effects. Essentially, humanity has consistently identified algorithmic methods and discerned patterns to facilitate artistic creation. These tools enabled the efficient production of more aesthetically pleasing artworks. Through these developments, art evolved to adopt a more methodological character.
Algorithmic Generation of Perspective
Perspective constitutes another crucial element that facilitated art's evolution into its contemporary manifestations. It enables artists to render three-dimensional objects as two-dimensional projections. During the Islamic Golden Age, Muslim artists frequently incorporated linear perspective into their designs. The concept of perspective was subsequently rediscovered by Italian Renaissance artists. The Golden Ratio, a renowned mathematical proportion, was employed by numerous Renaissance artists in their compositions. Notably, Leonardo DaVinci applied this technique in his Mona Lisa and other works, including Salvator Mundi. This practice exemplifies the application of algorithms within art. An analysis of historical artworks from the Renaissance and the Islamic Golden Age reveals recurring patterns of mathematical principles, geometric structures, and natural numbers.
The Algorithmic Role
From one perspective, algorithmic art necessitates a creation process rooted in an algorithm conceived by the artist. Artists may also define parameters and engage interactively during the composition's generation. In this context, an algorithm functions as a precise blueprint for an artwork's design and potential execution, encompassing elements such as computer code, functions, expressions, or other inputs that ultimately dictate the art's final form. Such input can be mathematical, computational, or generative. Given that algorithms are often deterministic, meaning repeated execution yields identical artworks, an external variable is typically introduced. This variable might be a random number generator or an external dataset, such as recorded heartbeats or movie frames. Furthermore, some artists incorporate organic, gestural input that is subsequently modified by an algorithm. According to this definition, fractals generated solely by a fractal program do not qualify as art due to the absence of human involvement. Conversely, a broader definition of algorithmic art can encompass fractal art and other variations, including those employing genetic algorithms. Artist Kerry Mitchell articulated in his 1999 Fractal Art Manifesto:
Fractal Art is not..Computer(ized) Art, in the sense that the computer performs all the work. The creation is executed on a computer, but solely under the artist's direction. If a computer is activated and left unattended for an hour, no art will have been generated.
Algorists
The term "Algorist" designates digital artists specializing in algorithmic art. Notable pioneering algorists include Vera Molnár, Dóra Maurer, and Gizella Rákóczy.
Algorists formally initiated communication and established their artistic identity after a 1995 SIGGRAPH panel titled "Art and Algorithms." Jean-Pierre Hébert and Roman Verostko were the co-founders. Hébert is credited with originating the term and its definition, which he presented as his own algorithm:
if (creation && object of art && algorithm && one's own algorithm) {
return * an algorist *
} else {
return * not an algorist *
}
Categories
Artists possess the capability to develop code that generates intricate and dynamic visual compositions.
Cellular automata can be employed to generate artistic patterns exhibiting an appearance of randomness, or to modify images such as photographs through the iterative application of transformations like the stepping stone rule, thereby achieving a desired artistic effect, often an impressionistic style. Their utility has also been explored within the realm of music.
Fractal art encompasses various forms of computer-generated fractals, characterized by selected color schemes designed to produce an attractive visual impact. Particularly in Western contexts, this art form is not manually drawn or painted. Its creation typically involves an indirect process facilitated by fractal-generating software, progressing through three distinct phases: configuring parameters within appropriate fractal software, executing potentially extensive computations, and subsequently evaluating the generated output. In some instances, additional graphics programs are utilized for further image modification, a process termed post-processing. Furthermore, non-fractal imagery may be integrated into these artworks.
Genetic or evolutionary art utilizes genetic algorithms to iteratively develop images, with selections made at each "generation" according to a rule defined by the artist.
Algorithmic art is not exclusively produced by computers, as Wendy Chun explains:
Software holds a unique status as a metaphor for metaphor itself. As a universal imitator/machine, it encapsulates a logic of general substitutability; a logic of ordering and creative, animating disordering. Joseph Weizenbaum has argued that computers have become metaphors for "effective procedures," referring to anything solvable in a prescribed number of steps, such as gene expression and clerical work.
The American artist Jack Ox has employed algorithms to produce paintings that serve as visualizations of music without the use of a computer. Two examples include visual performances of extant scores, such as Anton Bruckner's Eighth Symphony and Kurt Schwitters' Ursonate. Subsequently, she and her collaborator, Dave Britton, developed the 21st Century Virtual Color Organ, which incorporates computer coding and algorithms.
Since 1996, ambigram generators capable of automatically producing ambigrams have been available.
AI art
- AI art
- Algorithmic composition
- Computer-aided design
- DeepDream
- Demoscene
- Display hack
- Low-complexity art
- Infinite compositions of analytic functions
References
Oliver Grau (2003). Virtual Art: From Illusion to Immersion (MIT Press/Leonardo Book Series). Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press. ISBN 0-262-07241-6.
- Oliver Grau (2003). Virtual Art: From Illusion to Immersion (MIT Press/Leonardo Book Series). Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press. ISBN 0-262-07241-6.
- Wands, Bruce (2006). Art of the Digital Age. London: Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-23817-0.
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- Compart - Database of Digital and Algorithmic Art
- Thomas Dreher: Conceptual Art and Software Art: Notations, Algorithms and Codes
- Real-Time Computer Generated Digital Painting