LO 2 – Generative Art

For a while, I assumed that for works to be classified under the genre of ‘generative art’, they had to hold a certain level of complexity. I used to picture them as works that completely stray away from all pre-established artistic styles. Manolo Gamboa Naon makes me think otherwise. Through experimentation with basic geometric shapes, his work bridges the world of digital and analog art. In manipulating the most bare artistic elements, Manolo explores the divides between organic and artificial. The fluidity of his works are achieved by approaching the digital surface as a plastic space. Even though this field of generative art may be new to many, historical influences (such as Kandinsky) in his work furthers a sense of relatability. For me, the rhythm and beauty of his works are derived from simple manipulations of color and composition. Even through minor shifts of pattern and placement of shape, Manolo achieves a great range of emotion. 

While it may take me a while to understand the specifics of his algorithm, Manolo translates techniques like Decalcomania–a blotting process where paints create a mirror image–into code. Through–presumably–random layering of color, his program creates gradient-like surfaces that each fade into one another. Thus, these digital tools enable him to create levels of fluidity that cannot be achieved with any other analog techniques.