I am interested in technology as an intermediary for creating the drawn line. This interest arose from the observation that drawing can be an engaging activity for some, and a frustrating one for others. How might one insert technology into this process so that its calm, reflective properties — those that I personally found compelling — are called out? I found inspiration in a 2001 paper by PLAY Research Studio, in which Lars Hallnäs and Johan Redström presented “slow technology: a design agenda for technology aimed at reflection and moments of mental rest rather than efficiency in performance.” Could software embody these qualities? My early endeavors in computational drawing — the line drawn (2006), droom zaacht (2004), and etch (2003) — focused on answering these questions.
Recently, my attention has shifted from creating refined experiences within drawing tools to creating refined compositions within drawings themselves. I aspire to evoke imagined, otherworldly structures in my work. My software produces visual results that are not purely generative, but rather semi-automatic: a human input (captured via mouse, pen tablet, or custom hardware) is required.
I have employed simple algorithms so far; my drawings exhibit merely time-based qualities, echoing aspects of my recorded gesture. I am unsure of complexity's benefits. A related interest of mine is information design; future drawings will continue to hint at the imagined, but may focus on the abstract, complex systems that we live within (economic, political, ecological).
I use Processing and OpenFrameworks to create my drawing software.