Looking Outwards – 02

Glenn Marshall’s Emergent Art

This mesmerizing work is created by a honors-winning digital artist, though maybe not so well-known, Glenn Marshall. Marshall started off in the 90s as a 3D animation artist, where he relied heavily on commercial software like Cinema 4D to create his ideal visualization. However, unsatisfied with the limitations that come with off-the-shelf software, Marshall started using Processing to create unique code artworks, until he found an even better tool: combining Python SDK and Cinema 4D. He has been utilizing such a powerful tool to create unique algorithms and splendid visual effects.

His work immediately grabbed my attention because of its almost philosophical appearance. They resemble the perfect designs done by nature, like the golden ratio that’s present in the veins of a leaf or on the wings of a butterfly, despite the fact that these works are completely artificial.

The work that is shown above, Star Girl, as well as another work shown below, Particle Man, was created by tracing the trajectory of particles colliding onto a 3D sculpted surface. It is as much mathematical and scientific, as it is artistic.

This is what I would call ‘emergent art’, in that I have no preconceptions of the final result, but rather rely on the unexpected results of a complicated simulation system using natural forces to create the final piece.

-Glenn Marshall

Additional Links

• Glenn Marshall – Personal Website: Butterfly
• Glenn Marshall’s account on his creative process