This week I take on two projects based on generative line and reflect on how it impacts art-making and the artist.
Coincidentally this week I worked on two assignments by different professors in different mediums around the idea of generative artwork. This gave me the opportunity to consider what makes up a generative line or artwork and how that affects the artistic process.
Generative Line Drawings
"Generative Art refers to any art practice where the artist uses a system, such as a set of natural language rules, a computer program, a machine, or other procedural invention, which is then set into motion with some degree of autonomy to or resulting in a complex work of art." - Philip Galanter
Due to the pandemic, all of my courses have been moved online for the duration of the semester. For my Printmaking I class this means no more printing press, so we are moving to drawing-focused assignments. The first assignment was to create a list of "intrinsically different" lines. Okay, easy enough.
Then we were to pick an "interesting or unusual" line and create paragraphs in three values, light, middle tone and dark.
The next step was to create a generative line drawing using one type of line. You build the drawing line by line, each line having a relationship to the previous, but also varying in similarity and difference. These instructions felt very abstract and lead to more questions than answers. Knowing that I can be a bit tense and in need of control during the art making process, I focused on loosening up and, for lack of a better word, doodled.
The examples I saw didn't have overlapping lines like the paragraphs, but I started drawing using the type of line in my second set of paragraphs with loops. I felt like each loop took a bit of power away. I felt obligated to include it. Not only did my lines intersect, but each individual line intersected itself with each loop. I felt like the line was controlling the drawing instead of conscious decision making. My professor had clarified that the drawings should be a result of conscious decisions instead of random mark making or habit. I decided to simplify my line and start again.
This time my line had subtle curves and felt more organic and satisfying. The drawing became more elevated and sophisticated. I wasn't doodling anymore, I was creating a generative drawing. It became a meditative practice. I mindfully focused on one line at a time and before I knew it, a couple of hours had passed.
Generative Scratch Project
In my Learning and Digital Media class, I was to create a project in Scratch that was generative. I decided to focus on generative line again, but this time in the context of computation. Generative took on a different meaning, more closely resembling the definition by Bailey below. This time I wouldn't be drawing and the decision making would be involved in the code, not where the next mark would go.
"One overly simple but useful definition is that generative art is art programmed using a computer that intentionally introduces randomness as part of its creation process." - Jason Bailey
I started by defining my line. It would start randomly on the screen or slightly off (so the final image didn't feel too contained) and move a random length, then turn a random degree.
I then selected the action (when the green flag is clicked) and included the reset features here. For example, previous lines would be erased, the color would be set to blue violet and the pen size would go back to 1. One hundred sets of lines would be created, each varying in color and size.
The different sizes created depth and gave the feel of a 3D object that goes back into space instead of a flat line drawing. Interestingly, the same thing happened in my line drawing. The varying sizes and proximity of the lines created a push and pull in space.
I feel like I can reach in and grab the lines, pulling and compressing them, changing the size and shape like a Hoberman sphere. The straight lines feel more rigid in comparison to the hand drawn image, but the lack of control over the result each time the green flag is pressed also gives it a sense of freedom. Rigidly free. Is it hesitant? Freedom is a big responsibility.
I wanted the Scratch project to be a bit more interactive. I wanted to allow the viewer to have some say in when the artwork was complete, so I added an additional event.
Now, once the initial drawing is generated, the viewer can add additional lines by pressing the space bar. While testing this, I realized that if you hold the space bar down, the lines would continue to generate. Eventually the drawing did become more 2D and had the feel of a Jackson Pollock painting. But the viewer gets to decide how far to push it and when to reset and start anew. If you would like to try, please visit https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/381710734/
Reflection
I've previously explored the idea of chance in art making. Generative art feels like chance's cousin. There are some unexpected results, but much more control and decision making involved. I get to set the limitations. Oddly enough the idea of zero control is more enticing than some control. Maybe I'm an all or nothing type of person. I tend to work and think in extremes.
With the hand drawing, I set the limitation by restricting the style of line. I individually placed each line, one informed by the next, the image evolving and expanding. It felt like a meditative practice, mindfully adding each mark to the paper. From mind to hand to paper, I was the one generating.
For the Scratch project, the generative part was created with computation. I set restrictions, but ultimately had little control over where each line went. In a way, each line informed the next because it began where the last one ended, but ultimately it was random.
Where to?
I'm glad that I had the opportunity to explore generative art in multiple mediums. In considering what I should create for my final impossible project, experimenting with both mediums gave me a better idea of where I want to go. I want to attempt a generative artwork involving computation, but one that has a more organic and flowing feel to it. Something that reflects the growth I am experiencing. Something that feels personal, but also relinquishes a bit of control. Something that allows you to be present in the moment, but have a sense of acceptance when it passes. Like my favorite meditation mantra "breathe in this moment, breathe out let it go."