"Generative art is a love affair with the unpredictable, a dance with the unknown. It is a romance with the beauty that can only be created through the chaotic, random processes of creation. It is a love that is constantly evolving, forever changing, and always captivating."
This etch is created on my first minted generative art output called "Connections"
The Story:
As I think back to the late 90s into the early 2000s, I realized one of my favorite things to do in my high school math class when I was bored was plotting random equations on my TI-83 calculator. I would spend so much time trying out different equations and seeing how they looked when plotted on the graph. I was always fascinated by the way the lines and shapes would form on the screen and how each equation produced a unique visual.
Fast forward to 2022. After having an amazing conversation with Tyler Hobbs in NYC during NFT NYC over some late-night pizza, he officially inspired me to start learning Generative Art with Processing/p5.js. I never written any code in Java script before and certainly had no training in visual art but having some background in machine learning with python at least gave me a small boost in confidence that I could learn some of the basics a bit quicker.
I still have a lifetime of learning but for my first artwork, I wanted to start by bringing that TI-83 feeling back into my life. It is called "Connections.” To create the piece, I began by plotting points on the canvas by randomizing equations with 6 variables. Each of the 6 variables has randomized numbers for each output. I set up to have the artwork iterate this 2500 times. Once I had the collection of plots, I began connecting each plot with a line from the last previous plot. I realized that by using the HSB color mode, if I randomized the hue in certain ranges but kept the saturation and brightness levels high with the black background, it produced a striking visual. I love how even with all the randomness, certain areas on the piece would seem to cluster together creating a sense of unity and connection between the different elements.
In the end, I feel "Connections" turned out to be a beautiful and visually striking piece of generative art. I am proud of what I have created and grateful for the opportunity to explore my love of math and art in such a meaningful way.
I cannot wait to create more art!
