Tunnel Vision Algorithmic Abstract Art
Over the last several days I’ve created a number of new works of algorithmic art. One of these pieces is Tunnel Vision – shown above. After creating this particular artwork I began to wonder if the orientation I had used in its creation would actually be the orientation that other people would find to be the most aesthetically appealing. To get an idea of what that answer might be I posted the image below to several art groups and asked people to identify which of the four orientations they found to be the most aesthetically pleasing.
The Four Artwork Orientation Choices
While early voting had A as the overwhelming preference, by the time voting was effectively over, D had emerged as a close runner up. With respect to the two portrait oriented choices, I find it easy to see why D was clearly preferred to C as that’s the choice that I find more aesthetically pleasing. With respect to the two landscape oriented choices, option A was clearly preferred over option B. Again I agree.
Abstract Art Orientation Survey Results
Taking a step back, you can see in the survey results that there is almost a 50-50 split between people selecting a landscape orientation versus a portrait orientation. So the real challenge is choosing between options A and D with the core question being does this artwork work better as a portrait-oriented artwork or as a landscape-oriented artwork? Given the symmetry of this piece, I think the answer to this question is really one of personal taste.
Creating Tunnel Vision
In creating Tunnel Vision, I was working with a program that is a descendant of a very simple spirograph program I had written for a class I taught on using Processing to create digital spirographs and harmonographs. The image below is an example of the type of output that original spirograph program created.
Original spirograph program output
Over a period of time I gradually enhanced and expanded that program along several separate aesthetic lines of evolution. Tunnel Vision is the result of one of those evolutionary lines.
And My Aesthetic Vote Is…
When I created Tunnel Vision, I did so with the orientation of the canvas corresponding to option A. And it was with that landscape orientation in mind that I modified various parameters to create a work that satisfied my personal aesthetic. Fortunately for me the survey results served as a confirmation of the creative choices I had made.
Open Edition Prints
Open edition prints of Tunnel Vision are available from the following art print sites:
