HOW HAS SOFTWARE AFFECTED THE VISUAL ARTS?WHAT IS THE POTEN-TIAL FOR SOFTWARE WITHIN THE VISUAL ARTS?AS A DESIGNER OR ARTIST, WHy WOULD I WANT OR NEED TO WRITE SOFTWARE?

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skull(i), skull(ii), skull(iii), skull(iv), by Robert Lazzarini, 2000This series of 3-D human skulls was

created using computer modeling techniques. First the skull was scanned and distorted, then it was fabricated using resin, bone, and

pigment to create an unsettling series of replicas.

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Three Flags, by Jasper Johns, 1958Johns uses the repeti-tion and transformation of a powerful symbol to create ambiguity in the mind of the viewer.

Take an object.Do something to it.Do something else to it.“ “ “ “ “

Jasper Johns,

Notebook [ND], 1965

Transformation refers to the act of manipulat-ing a preexisting form to create something new. It suggests a change in shape, behavior, or context, but more importantly, it indicates a change in the viewer’s relationship to the object that has been transformed. Take, for example, a common transformation used in photography: converting a color photo to black and white. This technically simple transformation—it is available in every digital camera, image-editing tool, and copy machine—changes the photograph’s appear-ance. Often, the black-and-white version feels more emotional, timeless, and nostal-gic. In some cases, a grayscale conversion even enhances our perception of the image. We see it as more important, and it reminds us of a shoe box full of old photographs in grandmother’s attic or the work of countless great photographers of the past.

By making reference to existing symbols and schemes within society, transforma-tion can alter our perception in a way that emphasizes our emotional connections. Jasper Johns’ 1958 painting Three Flags achieves this to great effect. The potent symbol of the American fl ag is repeated on top of itself and then scaled.

Johns’ use of wax encaustic as the medium combined with a subtle use of transforma-tion imbues the work with a sense of ambiguity. Is it critical? Playful? Both? The repetition and stacking could imply motion, perhaps though time, or simply represent a play on geometric perspective.

As if to champion the importance of transformation, Johns famously wrote a prescription for art in his notebook:

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The Invisible Shape of Things Past, by ART+COM, 1995The idea that a video can be imagined as a physical object is the

foundation for this project. Because each frame is flat and 2-D, it can be stacked in space to produce a 3-D object that can then

be viewed from any angle. As the camera moves with a pan, tilt, or turn, the frames twist and turn, produc-

ing unexpected and fascinating shapes.

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In this capacity, the designer is no longer making choices about a single, fi nal object but creating a matrix encompassing an entire population of possible designs. This is a move from thinking about an object to thinking about a fi eld of infi nite options. This involves searching for and exploring a population of designs that meet certain requirements, behave in particular ways, or fi t the desires of the designer.

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These letters use parameters to determine the size of each circle. Working point by point, the program draws one circle at a time, with the radius cycling between small and large. Because the frequency of oscillation and circle size are both parameters, this permutation is only one of an infi nite number of possible results.

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Geno Pheno Sculpture “Fractal Dice No. 1”, by Keith Tyson, 2005A statement released for the exhibition of this sculpture

declared, “An algo-rithm written by the artist determines what will be on view in this new exhibition.” The subsequent rolls

of a die determined the parameters of the sculpture, including the color, depth, and position of each element.

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