Genetic Paintings

Recently I have been doing some reading about complex systems. This has motivated me to make artworks that illustrate or are based on complex systems or complexity science. After looking at artists with similar interests I discovered that the basic ideas I wanted to communicate have been addressed in depth by other artists, i.e. Philip Galanter. I’ve been looking at generative and rule-based art that is built from ideas such as cellular automata and genetics. My challenge is to represent some of these ideas in original ways. Specifically I’ve been brainstorming genetic artworks where subsequent pieces are built from the “genes” of parents, using the same visual material. Most of the artworks I’ve viewed that respond to complex systems and generative art are fairly cold and formal. Many of them are created using computers. Although I have no problem with digital art and will probably incorporate some digitally created imagery, I’d like these pieces to show more of my hand in the work. I’d also like to avoid artworks that completely lack representational elements.

I’ m hoping my work will be appropriate for a show I’m participating in this Fall. The show, curated by Namon Bills, is called E Pluribus Unum and is a political show responding to the extreme partisan nature of our government. Namon contacted me about this show after I had begun working on ideas for genetic paintings. E Pluribus Unum which means “from many, one” is a great unifying theme for my genetic paintings which will evolve an artwork over the course of generations.

I plan to execute 26 11”x118” works on panel. I will use acrylic, ink, toner transfer, and colored pencil on gessoed panel. Each week I will make four new pieces. At the end of the week I’ll select which two pieces are the most aesthetically “fit” from that generation. Those two pieces will become the parents of the next generation. Each generation will be a combination of the visual elements present in the parents picked from the preceding generation. The final series will be displayed all together and organized by generation.