Blog Post - Algorithmic Art

The Cave of Rebirth

The Cave of Rebirth is a song written and performed by Armenian jazz pianist Tigran Hamasyan. For the accompanying music video, visual artist Julius Horsthuis created a series of algorthmically generated and animated 3D fractals. This natural, yet otherworldly aesthetic perfectly accompanies the trance-like music of Hamasyan, which itself sounds ethereal but human. I was drawn to this piece for, while the visuals do follow the fluctuating emotions of the music, they were clearly not precisely planned. While certain paramaters can be entered to guide the visuals towards a certain feeling, it is still an act of exploration and discovery.

You can read more about the motivations behind the work here, but to truly appreciate it you have to see it in motion.

Helen Alexandra

Helen Alexandra uses custom generative software and traditional physical media to blur the lines between digital and physical art. Helen’s software renders animations in real time, which she captures at particularly moving movements. She then takes this still and digitally paints over it, blending the algorithmic and human generated aspects. She then prints this on paper or canvas and draws on it with acrylic or ink. Helen’s process creates a truly unique look, as it combines features from three different genres into one of its own.

Read more about Helen’s work here.