Blog Post #8 — Generative Arts with AI

laurettopiper24

Read the article by Amy Goodchild and discuss some of the techniques that interest you.

Generative Arts by definition is art created using autonomous processes and autonomous process is defined as a process not under direct human control.
Using these definitions, it should be readily apparent why the advent of AI and also technology in general are a powerful boon to this broad genre of art.
This article explores a plethora of examples that cover many different techniques and approaches to the fusion of technology and AI that showcase a fascinating world that is heavily explored already,  but still with much to be discovered.

Mathematics

Using mathematical algorithms for generative art is not a new concept, nor is using it in a digital realm to produce images and artwork. Even basic visualizers from the early days of computers used similar practices in order to generate visuals for a wide variety of purposes. (Shout out to winamp!)
However, with the advent and advancement of AI, this approach to generative art has acquired a large boost to capability and accessibility. Never has it been easier to work with a program to generate fresh code and algorithms to produce never before seen images and videos.
This is a frontier that I feel will become especially streamlined and expanded upon as AI software continues to allow more complex processes and ideas to reach fruition.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C3YM14Yiwpo/

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence in generative art is approached in this article as a similar and parallel process that shares many characteristics of generative art outside of the influence of AI.
I view AI as not only a natural path of progression for generative art, but also the gateway to new frontiers.
In the article, Anna Ridler’s work entitled Mosaic virus serves as a perfect example of the potential AI holds in this genre and highlights a key aspect that I think will make AI a crucial tool to these forms of art, artist selected unique datasets from which AI can generate images and art.
As more artists assemble custom selected datasets and begin sharing them online or using them for their own creations, I really think we will start to see a form of art generated by AI that becomes a truly unique experience uplifted from the mundane and generalized content produced by AI’s based on larger and less specific datasets.

http://annaridler.com/mosaic-virus/

Simulated Ecosystems

Simulated Ecosystems is a niche looking but enticingly useful application of generative art that I also see a vast amount of potential in.
While my knowledge on this subject is limited, I wonder if its possible to observe the tendencies and movement of organisms and use these to run very real simulations of possible interactions between species or organisms instead of the more whimsical approach of imaginary organisms used in this article.
The sci-fi nerd in me would love to see the simulation of real organisms, perhaps at a microscopic level, going through theorized changes to their environment or interactions with other organisms.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKPVRX9lN5S/

Blog 8: Generative Art

Tiffany Duran

I didn’t know much about generative art until reading this article. It is fascinating to see how people use unexpected tools to create art.

I liked Amy Goodchilds “Genuary Day 4” that she created using noise for values. The way she used colors and shades within the noise makes the piece look 3D like. It is very beautiful and a perfect example of how she explains noise can be used to create organic looking shapes.

I thought that her p5js Cyclic Cellular automaton that she made using a set of “rules” was cool. The piece looked similar to the growing art of mold, which in a way also uses a set of rules for creation, only they are organic.

I really liked the main idea implicated in automatism in that the subconscious is used as a “random” source for input. As Amy points out in the article, “Thinking about that balance of control present in many generative artworks, between the artist and the computer… perhaps the artist and their own subconscious can be thought of the same way. When we have ideas, where do they come from?” I’ve had thoughts about how we are similar to computers in that we can generate “new” ideas based off the loads of information we receive. However, an idea is never truly “original” as the ideas always stem from a combination of information that we have received from other stimuli. I have watched a video on Netflix about “how to increase your creativity” and one of the suggested ways is using a similar form of automatism. After doing this exercise, you can use the creations from your own subconscious as a source for inspiration. Very interesting way to create art.

Interesting Aspects of Generative Art

Hailey Gebhart

I am most interested in the processes behind visualizing mathematical ideas as art. When discussing generative art, one of the most intriguing examples in my opinion is the art pieces that use physics in order to create very patterned and geometric pieces. Normally when we talk about natural generative art, there is a chaos and a flow that it’s associated with (branches/leaves on trees, etc.), but art pieces that utilize pendulum swings or even those spirographs you may or may not have played with as a kid. These are phenomena that occur naturally, and are just visualized.

I am interested in the intersection in this kind of art with computerized generated art. I am very intrigued by the ability to visualize very complex mathematical ideas that would not have been possible without computers or complex algorithms. I am also interested in the ways in which computers generate randomness themselves. I think there are artistic ways in which we can show the difference in outcome between true random and pseudorandom beyond the distributions of the processes. In addition, I think there are interesting ways in which pseudorandom can be pushed to its limits and have interesting results.

In addition, I am very interested in how machine learning can integrate with generative art. I am very interested in what patterns and results can come out of algorithms that have processed more data than one human can in one lifetime.

In short, I am interested in the patterns that can come out of generative art, and the insights we can gain from these patterns.

Generative Arts Blog Prompt

Andrew Truax

Among the many different techniques regarding the generative art article, I was most fascinated by techniques such as true random, Perlin noise, and cellular automata.

The true random technique is strange in the way that it requires a natural source of chaotic data from something such as a radio or lava lamps.

The Perlin noise technique seems to be random, but each dot is not allowed to be so far from the previous dot and creates interesting looking data and sometimes looks like mountains.

Lastly, I chose the cellular automata due to its fascinating look. It can create complex patterns across the whole grid. It is constantly moving and creating new shapes almost as if it’s alive.

Blog #8 Generative Art with AI

Vincent Lam

I feel like the techniques that interest me the most are the pseudorandom and simulated ecosystem.

I have always liked randomness, I often go into ChatGPT and request an image of something random that comes to mind. With the pseudorandom technique I could have computer generate the random for me. Yeah, its not exactly random because it has to select values with in a range, but to me it is random enough.

The other technique I find interesting is the simulated ecosystem. With so many elements in an ecosystem there is no telling what it could do. It could shrink or grown, it could explode or simply do nothing. Sure seeing a rock wither away could be interesting, but how about ecosystem on the molecular level or ecosystem that don’t even exist. I am curious on how it will turn out.

Generative Art (blog 8)

Pamela

I found the techniques in Amy Goodchild’s article to be fascinating because I think when art comes to mind people think of traditional art. Which commonly include ceramics, paintings and perhaps sculptures but generative art is almost like its own medium. I hadn’t thought much about generative art until now but I am especially interested in true randomness. Seeing as it comes from nature but is simply displayed in a way in which is more stimulating its quite captivating. A form of true randomness that comes to mind for me is the sky, it seems a bit obvious but it never truly looks the same but that’s what makes it so interesting to me. Of course this can be applied into a digital form like with weather and such which is a representation of data.

Amy’s demonstration of distribution with dots reminded me of stippling a drawing technique also used with dots. In drawing it can be quite time consuming to make a piece solely through this but ultimately it’s the same concept depending on the distribution of the dots the image made up will largely change. In addition to the pressure of the dots (meaning the soft or hardness making them appear lighter or darker).

I also found Automatism intriguing because I think when people are doing something they always seem to think about it with a vision or idea in mind. But in this example with drawing one is simply drawing to draw without much thought, as an artist myself I relate but don’t at the same time. During my drawing process most of the time I begin with a plan and know exactly what I want to draw but somewhere in the middle ignore the plan and just start drawing without thinking, kind of like I just let my hands do the work. I find that some of my best work comes from doing this. But when I’m stuck or just seem to run out of ideas, letting my hands do the work seems to end with me creating something unexpected.