Feb. 27th Salon: Generative Art Using Computational Physics
When: Wednesday, February 27th, 7:30pm
Where: Boston Cyberarts Gallery, 141 Green St., Jamaica Plain, MA
Presenter: Mark J. Stock, artist
Free event
RSVP to info@atne.org. Space is limited.
Generative art is created with the use of an autonomous system, usually a computational process fashioned by the artist. Many methods used by generative artists such as Golan Levin, Casey Reas, and Scott Draves are, at their origins, simulations of complex systems which exhibit emergent behavior. The natural world is full of such systems. Computational physics is the study of converting the often impenetrable mathematics of real physics into a virtual, computer-friendly form. In other words, it lets us turn differential equations into ordered streams of simple operations: addition, multiplication, and the occasional square root.
Artist, scientist, and programmer Mark J. Stock will introduce Processing, a self-contained programming and execution environment, and walk through a deceptively simple algorithm that can be easily modified to produce flocking, galactic collisions, and fluid turbulence. An open programming session will follow the presentation, giving you an opportunity for guided exploration, discussion of advanced topics, collaboration, or simply exercising your creativity. If you wish to follow along, bring a laptop with Processing installed.
About the Artist
Mark J. Stock is a scientist, programmer, and artist who creates still and moving images combining elements of nature, physics, chaos, computation, and algorithm. He focuses on works that can be created only with scientifically-accurate research software and methods—never commercial CG software—so he must either write the code himself or borrow it from researchers in their respective fields. Often, these codes have never been re-tasked for artistic purposes. His works explore the tension between the natural world and itssimulated counterpart—the one created on supercomputers by scientists and engineers hoping to understand nature’s mysteries. He has been showing work since 2000 and has been in over 50 curated and juried exhibitions since 2001, including Ars Electronica, ASPECTMagazine, and six SIGGRAPH Art Galleries. He has spoken at numerous scientific, graphics and art conferences and workshops, and has published papers in a variety of fields. Mark completed his PhD in Aerospace Engineering at the Uniersity of Michigan in 2006 and currently develops new computational methods for science, engineering and art clients. He spends most of his time in and around his home and studio in Newton, Massachusetts. J. Stock is a scientist, programmer, and artist who creates still and moving images combining elements of nature, physics, chaos, computation, and algorithm. He focuses on works that can be created only with scientifically-accurate research software and methods—never commercial CG software—so he must either write the code himself or borrow it from researchers in their respective fields. Often, these codes have never been re-tasked for artistic purposes. His works explore the tension between the natural world and its simulated counterpart—the one created on supercomputers by scientists and engineers hoping to understand nature’s mysteries. He has been showing work since 2000 and has been in over 50 curated and juried exhibitions since 2001, including Ars Electronica, ASPECT Magazine, and six SIGGRAPH Art Galleries. He has spoken at numerous scientific, graphics and art conferences and workshops, and has published papers in a variety of fields. Mark completed his PhD in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan in 2006 and currently develops new computational methods for science, engineering and art clients. He spends most of his time in and around his home and studio in Newton, Massachusetts.