Looking Outwards 02: Generative Art

Link: http://sansumbrella.com/works/2011/drawing-water/
David Wicks
Drawing Water
Spring 2011

I think the project “Drawing Water” by David Wicks is a very impressive and amazing work.

1. Regarding the project, what do you admire about it, and why do you admire these aspects of it?

Firstly, on the aspects of aesthetics, the works are very visually impressive and pleasing. The images have so many details–The strokes are so delicate and look like the strokes of pencils. The combination of colors, shades and the background is very comfortable as well–blue and white, or blue and black. They present the pattern of the flow of water nicely. What’s more, what makes it admirable is that the visual representations are dynamic. That is to say, the patterns or colors can change according to the amount of rainfall.

2. What do you know (or what do you suppose) about the algorithm that generated the work?

The algorithm that the artist used is related to water resources (“the amount of rainfall”, “where waterfalls” and “where it is consumed within the United States”). The further the rainfall, the darker or whiter the color.


3. In what ways are the creator’s artistic sensibilities manifest in their algorithm?

The paths are created based on real-life data of waterfalls, but the creator also adds his imagination when trying to show the pattern of the flow of water. That is to say, David Wicks turns the data of rainfalls into visual representations–by showing the flowing patterns of water and showing the number of rainfalls through those beautiful lines.