Katie – Page 2 – [OLD SEMESTER] 15-104 • Introduction to Computing for Creative Practice

Blog – 03

I am most inspired by the work of Amanda Ghassaei. She has been making groundbreaking artwork for years and continues to push computational art’s limits. One project of hers that I admire is her locked letters project which she worked on in 2021. Letter-locking is the practice where a letter becomes its own envelope through a series of complex folds. Ghassaei uses x-ray microtomography and a fascinating “virtual unfolding” method to read sealed letters without even opening them. Although I am not familiar with microtomography, according to her website she uses “3D reconstruction of the folded packet using data collected by a high-resolution microtomography scanner” to create her artwork. Additionally, I really admire her work on 3D printing a record player(2012). I commend this because it is a rarity in the 3D printing realm, and it actually produces music just like any other vinyl! According to her website, she imported raw audio data, did some geometrical calculations, and eventually exported this geometry directly to a 3D printable file format. Check her work out below!

Locked Letters (2021)
https://amandaghassaei.com/projects/locked_letters/

3D Printed Record (2012)
https://amandaghassaei.com/projects/3D_printed_record/

By: Katie Makarska

Project – 02

//Katie Makarska
//Section C

var eyeWidth = 20;
var eyeHeight = 20
var faceWidth = 100;
var faceHeight = 150;
var smileWidth = 80;
var smileHeight = 40;

function setup() {
createCanvas(300, 300);
bgColor = color( random(255), random(255), random(255));
}

function draw() {
background(bgColor);
//eyes
ellipse(width / 2, height / 2, faceWidth, faceHeight);
var eyeLX = width / 2 – faceWidth * 0.25;
var eyeRX = width / 2 + faceWidth * 0.25;
ellipse(eyeLX, height / 2, eyeWidth, eyeHeight);
ellipse(eyeRX, height / 2, eyeWidth, eyeHeight);
//smile
var smile1 = width/2 – faceWidth *0.01;
var smile2 = width/2 + faceHeight *0.25;
arc(smile1, smile2, smileWidth, smileHeight, 0, PI);

//random colors
r = random(50, 255);
g = random(100,200);
b = random(100, 200);

}

function mousePressed() {
// when the user clicks, these variables are reassigned
// to random values within specified ranges. For example,
// ‘faceWidth’ gets a random value between 75 and 150.
faceWidth = random(90, 150);
faceHeight = random(100, 200);
eyeWidth = random(10, 30);
eyeHeight = random(10, 30);
smileWidth = random(50, 80);
smileHeight = random(20, 40);
//random face color
fill(r, g, b);
//random background color
bgColor = color( random(255), random(255), random(255));

}

Blog – 02

I am most inspired by Frieder Nake’s generative artwork. I admire the sharpness of his work the most because it makes for a very neat finished product that one could admire for hours. Although he mostly uses straight lines and geometric shapes, he also uses layering often to create more dimension in his artwork. Additionally, I enjoy his use of varying colors and stroke weights because when different colors and stroke weights are layered together it introduces a completely new color to the artwork depending on the values of each. Nake uses an algorithmic approach to his computer art, with perhaps some randomness weaved in as well. He identifies as a mathematician, which most likely translates to his work in the form of arithmetic algorithms which he could have imbedded into if-statements, or written by themselves. I suppose Nake used if-statements to determine where to draw the next shape, or where to switch the colors, which might have depended on the position of the shape/color on the page.

By: Katie Makarska