Since we generally judge things from our own Realm of Experience,

I feel the need to explain my perspective on Computer Art.

 

I was born in 1953, which put my formative and teen years

in a Time when paisley prints, black lights, lava lamps

and colorful freeform Art were everywhere,

with a plethora of sonic experiments in Music echoing across the Universe.

My affinity for the Art that springs forth from my Computer

is a reflection of the Joy I knew as a young man.

 

The first time I hit all the right keys and shapes began to emerge on my monitor,

I was amazed. At that moment, I saw endless possibilities

and knew that I had stumbled upon a way

to tap into another avenue of Creativity.

 

I started, and am still on a Quest to understand more about this particular Art form.

The Computer is a tool, just as brushes and palettes are tools.

But it is a tool that helps us Create what we can Imagine

and once we have a workable Piece,

it lets us see more variations of a theme within seconds.

 

With a little searching I discovered Fractal Art.

Basically, the Computer takes a series of equations, picks a point to start

and then begins to perform these commands in an ever growing outward process.

Similar to when God said, “ Let there be Light….”

There is the thought, that somewhere in our vast Cosmos,

this Edict is still rolling on, much like the thunder that follows the lightning.

 

The Computer, per its instructions, stops its outward motion

and then zooms in to take a closer look at what has been Created.

Even without any other human participation,

there are times this snapshot of cyber activity is astounding.

Bring in the human element to guide the process

and you increase the percentage of Art pieces that have merit.

 

Generally, I Create Art in one of three ways, though there are at times exceptions.

After all, we are talking about Computers.

 

The first is a program which allows me to enter a few parameters,

go away for a day and come back to filter through about 1000 pieces just to keep 10-20.

Not much different than a Florist who prunes back a plant

or removes unnecessary stems and foliage to fashion a beautiful floral arrangement.

He didn’t Create. He merely collects and presents.

These are what I refer to as, “Screen Savers”.

Even with what little I participate, some of these pieces are hard to Believe.

 

A few of my criteria for collecting are :

 

Dimension (do I feel like I am viewing something from a distance, up close,

or maybe even microscopic? Does there appear to be a 3D effect

that belies the fact you are looking at a flat screen?).

 

Light and Shadow (these include gradients, highlighted features, clarity

and the impression that there has to be a source

for the light you think you are seeing.).

 

Color (vivid, subtle, gaudy, pensive, bold, subdued, wild, calm, you know,

the full gamut of feelings and emotions that can be influenced and affected

by an astounding assortment of hues and shades that can usually only be Imagined.).

 

Detail (either unswerving commitment to it

or the total lack of concern or adherence of any kind.

Am I seeing something that reminds me of things I may have seen in Nature

or am I being given privy to some new form of Life

or scenery from another dimension,

that has nothing to do with our Realm of Existence?).

 

Presentation (at times the stems are more important than the flower

or maybe the vase is the true work of Art.).

 

And least scientific of all is the Boing Factor. Does something in my mind go, Boing!!

Or do my eyes feel the effects of the Boing Factor?

 

The second is where I alter an image or photo I have collected

by running it through some processing program,

much like someone who totally renovates an existing structure

by knocking out walls, adding windows where needed

and completely stripping away any semblance of the former visage.

Not truly Creating from the ground up, but much more involvement

than merely throwing on a coat of paint to make it more presentable.

The possibilities are endless,

thanks to all the Folk who took the time to wonder “What if ???”,

and put all their discoveries at the other end of a point and click mouse.

I refer to these as, “Transformations”.

 

The third is the more involved, hands and eyes on approach

where I feel like I am using my Imagination

and letting it guide the parameters in a more direct fashion.

Similar to Sculptors who start with some form of raw material,

be it metal, stone, wood, clay or whatever is available,

and bring forth what they sense already exists in the medium they are working with.

Or the Painter who looks at a blank canvas and allows their palette

or the subject matter they are viewing to Inspire them

to bring forth images from the Void, that the rest of us can enjoy and be Inspired by. Once again, there are no boundaries or limits to this Creative process.

At times I feel I am leading the Quest and at times I feel the Quest is leading me.

Either way, I am truly grateful to be a part of it.

I call these, “John’s Computer Art”.

 

If you appreciate things beautiful & wondrous,

you will surely enjoy the Computer generated Art found in my collection.

 

Go to any office and you will see Computers filled with Icons of available programs,

an aquarium, some other never truly changing bit of scenery or just a blank screen.

Even most home Computers are just sitting idle,

when they could be Inspiring you with beautiful visions of wonder.

 

I plan on releasing several Disks so you could keep adding new Art

to your Digital Library on a regular basis

and continually enjoy new Pieces from the wonderful world of Digital Art.

And with the Knowledge you are also helping Someone,

you can feel good on a personal level about the show your Computer is putting on.

 

 Each of the Art Disks come with easy to follow insights and instructions

on how to Create and activate a Screen Saver Presentation.

 

 

Why Computer Art

To view some samples, click one of the boxes below.

Digital Downloads