Emily Zhou – Looking Outwards – 02

London-based artist, Quayola, uses image-analysis and manipulation algorithms to generate digital landscapes in a project titled Pleasant Places.

Pleasant Places, Quayola, 2015

I am a big fan of the irony that is present in this work. The artist uses a computer program, a far cry from the natural world, to construct pleasant, organic works of art. I admire the contrast against the popular belief that only nature itself can produce feelings of comfort and tranquility.

The algorithm requires an input video (e.g. trees swaying in the wind), which it then relates by analyzing patterns of movement and colour. The result is a painting-like scenery. The shot-breakdown is demonstrated below:

Artistic sensibilities come into play in developing the algorithm. The artist performs computational brush studies as well as generative painting simulations in order to create a digital synthesis that can be applied to natural landscapes. The work exhibited as an audiovisual installation will hopefully inspire more people to consider computer technology as a means of art-making.