![[OLD SEMESTER] 15-104 • Introduction to Computing for Creative Practice](wp-content/uploads/2023/09/stop-banner.png)
For this week’s Looking Outwards, I looked at Neri Oxman’s Mediated Matter group. This project was active 2010 to 2021. One thing I liked about their project was that their designs were inspired by nature. I think there is a pattern in generative art, where people often aim to make things that don’t look like they were made by people. The ability of a computer to pick absolutely random values is something humans have difficulty with, but emulates the natural growth of things (to some degrees at least). This is one of several projects I have noticed that emulates the structure of veins in a leaf.
My favorite project from this group is Aguahoja III. This piece inspired me because of how beautiful it is. It looks like a plant from an alien planet. This sculpture doesn’t just look nice though, It also uses interesting materials and holds an interesting message. They took the idea of leaves to the next level and actually 3D printed this with cellulose, chitin, and pectin. The result is a tough leather like material that fits beautifully into the computer’s design.
Seeing things like this makes me excited to bring ideas to life. It sucks when ideas can only be digital, but when they can be brought into real life through sculptures and visuals, it makes me excited for all the cool stuff we will have in the future.