ART+TECH

The work presented here was created using the software Synthetik Studio Artist, a modular graphic synthesizer. I discovered this software in 1999, attracted by its capabilities to use a photography in a whole new way. I find myself returning again and again to work in this program because I am always discovering fresh ways to see things by letting the computer see it with me.

I begin with a compelling image. Sometimes I create photocollages. I work with themes of nature, the computer and I working to develop the final image. The program “sees” the source material and will process it, looking for luminance, orientation, texture, color, etc. It then applies “paint strokes,” one by one, onto the digital canvas, either at my specific direction with a graphics pen, or entirely automatically. The software allows me to create brush strokes that the computer applies based on my instructions. I have control over hundreds of variables. The trick is to invent the right brush for the subject and the composition. The computer generates images at lightning speed so great portion of my process is curation. Undo is my friend. There is a lot of back-and-forth between the computer and me. I spend many happy hours tweaking parameters so the computer can render the finished work in a matter of minutes.”