GA2010 – XIII Generative Art Conference – Politecnico di Milano University, Italy BASSEY EFFIONG COMPUTER GENERATIVE ART: PAINTING EXPERIENCE NDON Abstract: ABSTRACT With the emergence of generative art which involves computer technology, art is undergoing an evolutionary process with multiple results as programmed by the artist. These processes run autonomously, or in a self- organizing way, according to instructions and rules as preprogrammed using mathematical algorithms to automatically or semi-automatically generate expressions in more conventional artistic forms. Such artistic experiences have been expressed through generative paintings or dynamic paintings as San Base calls it, involving motion introduced into static paintings using the computer screen as canvas. This paper however examines generative art, its history and autonomy, the effectiveness of generative art and the answer to the question on who creates the artwork when the computer is involved. Topic: Painting Finally, generative software and the motivation for its creativity are Author: examined. BASSEY E. NDON University of Uyo Department of Fine and Industrial Arts www.uniuyo.edu.ng References: (1) Galanter, P., Foundations of generative art systems – a hybrid survey and studio Class for graduate students. Generative Art 2001: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference. Milan Polytechnic, Milan, 2001 (2) Ochigbo, S., “Towards Aesthetics In Painting” ” in Akpan, E. (Ed) Journal of University Media and Aesthetics vol.1, University of Uyo, August 1995, pg. 85. (3) Base, S., Art or 1.Eden by John McComack 2007 installation video technology? Dynamic 2.Woman Portrait by Celestino Soddu 1996 Painting and Generative 3.Marius Watz: System_C, 2004 Art ( URL consulted Feb. 2009) 4.Exploration of Related Points Along a Space Filling Curve http://www.sanbasestudio.c #2 11/2/2007 by Don Relyea om/blog/index.php. (2009) Contact: Keywords: Bassey Ndon, Dept of Generative art, computer art, generative software Fine and Industrial Arts, University of Uyo, Nigeria [email protected] om +2348028335084 page 77 13th Generative Art Conference GA2010 COMPUTER GENERATIVE ART: PAINTING EXPERIENCE BASSEY E. NDON University of Uyo Department of Fine and Industrial Arts www.uniuyo.edu.ng ABSTRACT With the emergence of generative art which involves computer technology, art is undergoing an evolutionary process with multiple results as programmed by the artist. These processes run autonomously, or in a self-organizing way, according to instructions and rules as preprogrammed using mathematical algorithms to automatically or semi-automatically generate expressions in more conventional artistic forms. Such artistic experiences have been expressed through generative paintings or dynamic paintings as San Base calls it, involving motion introduced into static paintings using the computer screen as canvas. This paper however examines generative art, its history and autonomy, the effectiveness of generative art and the answer to the question on who creates the artwork when the computer is involved. Finally, generative software and the motivation for its creativity are examined. INTRODUCTION There are of course different methods for art creation. Traditionally, the artist is the genius responsible for creating a work of art. The skills and motivation of the artist are decisive for the resulting art. However, some artists have experimented with this decisive role of the artist. Visual art also uses (semi-)randomness. For example the action painting of Jackson Pollock has the effect of basing the location where paint particles land on the canvas to semi randomness (the different directional forces working on the individual particle and the laws of gravity). This contrasts the traditional painter who carefully places his brush on a specific point on the canvas. As a result, chance art is often more abstract and less realistic. With the rise of the computer, the number possibilities to use chance and randomness exploded, and with the computer working more and more autonomous and without being controlled by a human artist, the term generative art was adopted. Of course it is still the human artist who supplies the computer with the algorithms that are used to generate art. Generative art can not only be music or static visual art (paintings), but also movies, poetry, 3d worlds and games, or complete (virtual) experiences. WHAT IS GENERATIVE ART? Computers have invaded and expanded nearly every art form. From digital creation, recording, manipulation and distribution of music, to animation and film editing; from word processing to the instantaneous cueing of hundreds of complex lighting and scenery changes computer tools are there helping artists to make art. It refers to any art practice where the artist uses a system, such as a set of natural language rules, a computer program, mathematics, a machine, or other procedural invention, which sets into motion with some degree of autonomy and self organization, contributing to or resulting in a work of art. The most common forms of generative art are graphics that visually represent complex processes, music, or language-based compositions like poetry. Other applications include architectural page 78 13th Generative Art Conference GA2010 design, models for understanding sciences such as evolution, and artificial intelligence systems. Some authors call it computer generated art, computer generated software art, dynamic painting, algorithm art, or just simply generative art. The term generative art does not describe any art-movement or ideology. It's a method of making art. The term refers to how the art is made, and does not take into account why it was made or what the content of the artwork is. (Wikipedia) Some generative art operates completely autonomously, while some generative artworks also incorporate inputs from a user, or from the environment. The work is usually automated by the use of a machine or computer, or by using mathematic or pragmatic instructions to define the rules by which such artworks are executed (Zanni 2008). System usage is identified initially as a key element in generative art. This leads to the adoption of complexity, order and disorder as efficacious organizing principles in the comparison of several generative systems of art. The trace of definition of generative art is the preference the artist establishes in a system that can generate a number of possible forms, and better than a single terminated form. The artist’s role is to build, begin or merely select the frame of procedures to generate possible expressions and, for this, the visual aspect may or may not be determining. Plate 1. Eden by John McComack 2007 installation video Also in defining generative art, John McCormack adds the influence of biology and emergent behaviour and in particular the terms ‘genotype’ and ‘phenotype’. He argues that software can be seen in terms of’ genotypes’ (DNA in cells) as machine code and ‘phenotypes’ (the higher level form of behaviour) as what happens when it runs. The programmer would set the parameters that defined the fitness, and the software would evolve ‘autonomously’. Put simply, McCormack generalizes that the authoring process is directed towards a genotype as the specification of a process, and when this process is executed it generates the phenotype as the ‘experience of the artwork’ (in Brown 2003). It is worth noting the elevated position of the artist in this description as responsible for the DNA of the artwork in the perpetuation of a page 79 13th Generative Art Conference GA2010 ‘creationist’ myth. Clearly other external factors are at work in creative production in art and life. EVOLUTIONARY NATURE OF GENERATIVE ART. In generative art multiple results can be produced by using some kind of generating system. Generative" simply directs attention to a subset of art, a subset where potentially multiple results can be produced by using some kind of generating system. Ward (2005) defines Generative Art as a “form of geometrical abstraction in which a basic element is made to ' generate' other forms by rotation, etc. of the initial form in such a way as to give rise to an intricate design as the new forms touch each other, overlap, recede or advance with complicated variations.” Jalbert (2008) while examining generative art and the specific function sees the intent of generative art as that which gives awareness to evolution. He defines generative art as art where the main technique of development within a piece or series of pieces is an evolutionary process, like biological or physical evolution, or the evolution of ideas. Generative art forms are new and they generate or go through an evolutionary process. This might mean that the intent of the work is to make evolution the primary message. Evolution involves a complex process of development with many possible influences. Much of art involves generative processes of development, selection of work for various reasons. These reasons include everything from emotional impact, to beauty, to commercial appeal, to personal fulfillment, to social propaganda, and more. GENERATIVE ART IN HISTORY Generative art had been in history and in other art forms like architecture, music or poetry. In music, Riedel and Ihmels (2004) generative art was utilized in classical music. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart developed a “musical game of dice” that contained most of the elements that today are associated with generative tools.The piece carries the explanatory title “Composing waltzes