We are investigating the aesthetics of generative art. We have programmed the computational software Mathematica to generate thousands of different images. These images vary in many ways, including their style, their color palette, and the density of their composition. We are using your preferences to determine which properties make a piece of generative art the most aesthetically pleasing.
Thank you for contributing ❤
Our Bezier Curves piece inspired by the structure of an exploding firework generates hundreds of lines each of which has uniquely defined bezier points. Each line passes within a radius of an anchor point which alters line orientations and creates an interesting area of color concentration.
Our Neon Spirals piece inspired by the helical structure of DNA utilizes parametric equations which yield the colorful spirals you see. By randomizing coefficients between a working range of real-valued numbers we are able to create unique pieces each with a different interpretation of a spiral.
Our Nested Squares piece inspired by the Random Squares piece, uses a minimum and maximum ratio which determines the size of each square in relation to the others in its group. By also randomizing the offset of each square’s position we create an interesting shadow-like effect for some of the square groups, highlighting some properties we observed in the original.
Our Koch Curves piece inspired by classic Koch Flakes takes this a step further by creating custom-formed shapes and lines. With one recursive function, we are able to create thousands of unique pieces each of which is made of Koch Segments. Our five distinctive variations and interpretations range from controlled and orderly to random and disorderly.
Our 45 Degree Paths piece inspired by the Structured Square Series, uses a variety of base line options, which build off each other to form unique patterns. A key difference between our piece and the original is that rather than outlining each individual square, we removed their boundaries leading to a more randomized feel rather than structured as in the original.
Our Overlapping Drops piece inspired by rainfall alters a standard raindrop mesh through random translation and scaling processes. An interesting touch we included is that a single drop does not conform to the pieces’ color scheme. This immediately draws attention to the out-of-place drop and gradually to the others.
Our Grid of Squares piece inspired by Schotter (1968), emulates the general concept of the art, but distinguishes itself through new elements. By calculating the distance between a square and a random “core” point we are able to adjust the squares’ positional offset, its color, and other factors. Each piece follows through with a certain theme, the two primary themes being orderly and chaotic.
Our Patterned Lines piece inspired by the Concentric Squares piece distorts a standard rectangle through randomly selected cardinal directions for the lines to follow. Once a line path has been determined, all included lines must adhere to the direction but can be translated individually. Many of the generated pieces can be seen as “Into the Matrix-esque”.
ArtVote.net is part of the Experimental Mathematics Lab at Queens College of the City University of New York, under the supervision of Professor Christopher Hanusa. This project is a collaboration between Professor Hanusa and his students Peter Antonaros and Christopher Soto.
