__*Implications*__ explores the symmetry of a chaotic system in motion. Each output contains a selection of geometric shapes that slide, twist, and resize over time. Their intersections divide the canvas into two regions, each with its own set of rules for generating mathematical textures. As predictable geometry and chaotic automata intersect and evolve, a variety of organic and artificial patterns emerge. Gradually, the colors and rules shift, and new forms appear. Through a series of carefully reflected changes, symmetry persists.

Each animation is constructed from large virtual pixels. By varying their scale, spacing, and alignment a variety of patterns are generated — ranging from a pixel art aesthetic to one with softer, larger-scale structures. Where does a tiny pixel end, and the emergent whole it’s a part of begin?

Building on the foundation laid in __*mono no aware*__ and __*Zoologic*__, __*Implications*__ continues the work of making the beautiful complexity of cellular automata visible and accessible. New techniques for optimization, color generation, and constraint selection -- along with simplifications to features and interactive controls -- place focus squarely on an endless and compelling animated experience.

__*Implications*__ is a meditative work best experienced over the course of at least a few minutes. Put on some music, full-screen the live view, and enjoy the show! What sorts of symmetry do you see? What sorts of shapes and textures are there, and how do they move? For viewers who would like to customize the detail level, frame rate, and other aspects of the viewing experience, press **[H]** to open a menu describing the available keyboard controls.

Implications

They answered. Will the message be one of peace?

Obicera

We've studied the strange geometric images since they appeared. Our instruments detect new shapes, new colors, more depth, and detail. Are they evolving, or just getting closer? More study is needed.

Eccentrics 2: Orbits

The algorithm that was built for Getijde (Dutch for 'Tide') was meticulously designed. It's the result of spending most of the year cooped up inside four walls with a strong desire to escape. Countless hours were spent perfecting details to guarantee that each mint will be of high enough quality to be exhibited on screens and in print.

Getijde

How can intent be communicated when ideas are filtered through a pseudorandom number generator? Simply looking at the output does not make it clear whether a stroke is placed on the canvas because of a decision by the artist or by a roll of the dice. The artist’s hand is more present in the process than the result; they choose the algorithms, tune the parameters, and prune the features. As I experimented with my code, I held a particular idea in mind, but I was uncertain how it would finally manifest. I pursued a visual composition that made me feel a certain way, and the visuals I landed on communicate my feeling better than anything I can put into words. Through Curved Air is about the challenge of communication. Regardless of the medium, I can never be certain that the message I intend to send is the message that is received.

Through Curved Air takes inspiration from musical minimalism, where repetition is used to highlight changes in rhythm and harmony. Every output is created by repeatedly copying a single shape. Each copy only has meaning in relation to the other shapes nearby, and that meaning changes with the context around it. Delicate structures form and are subsequently obscured by further layers, and though they may be hidden, they still affect the perception of the final image. Clicking on the canvas will start or stop the looping mode, where the image is recreated in a slightly different way. New facets are exposed as the composition changes yet remains the same. Just as I spend my days trying to share my inner experience through my art, Through Curved Air uses each shape and each loop and each token hash to attempt to create a common feeling between myself and the viewer.

Through Curved Air also takes inspiration from the paintings of Joan Mitchell. I was drawn to her expressive strokes, vibrant colors, and use of negative space, all of which come together to give a more intense feeling of looking at a landscape than just looking at a painting of a landscape. Her energetic marks clearly communicate that there is a human being behind the art. The marks of generative works are often similarly representative of the underlying process, but instead of drawing focus to the artist behind the piece, they draw attention to the algorithm. To convey human emotion in the way I intended, I had to use a subtler algorithm.

The technical tools to convey this emotion are tools I have been consistently developing in my practice. I love making generative art because I can design a system where I understand how all the components work, but they can still come together to produce a result that surprises me. The algorithm behind the compositional variation in my earlier works Coquina and Primordial is one I continued to evolve, and it rests at the heart of Through Curved Air. In fact, I pushed it further than ever, using it to create the individual shapes that form the building block of each output. This emergent variation permeates the work and results in surprising images that more closely resemble paintings than anything I made previously. I believe the potential for surprise is key to conveying emotion through code. When the possibility space of the algorithm grows too large to understand, the mind wanders to the person behind the algorithm. Perhaps the human element is the struggle to understand, or the struggle to be understood.

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Through Curved Air #0

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