Computational expressionism, or how the role of random () is changing in computer art

The creative process can be described as a continuous feedback loop between the material and an artist’s decision making process. A skill can be described as knowledge of a material that allows making more informed decisions and more controlled interactions. As the artist attains a deeper knowledge of a material, the cognitive process involved in creation diverges from technical considerations and concerns itself more with meaning and expression. With computation, the creative process is better described as an evaluative process. Computers allow a multitude of stored copies and variations and also permit the visual artist to create many compositions. The artist may subsequently choose the most appealing among them, refining procedures and algorithms through an evaluative process of trial and error. The traditional relationship between the artist and the computer has been one of artists exercising visual judgment in light of manipulation of material. In this paper, we contrast the extensive use of randomness with a more controlled expression given advances in our modeling of human vision and of imaging systems. The context for this discussion is Computational Expressionism, an exploration of computational drawing that redefines the concept of lines and compositions for the digital medium.