On October 29th 2023 I will be hosting a Generative Art Workshop in Toronto. To help promote the workshop and illustrate the ideas behind generative art I created a postcard with a drawing exercise that uses coin flips to determine how triangles are drawn in a 3x3 grid. This project, "Postcard Triangles", is a code based interpretation of that exercise.

The colour palettes used in this project are all drawn from photos taken in Paris on October 11th and 12th 2023.

You can find the PDF of the workshop postcard included with each token at /Workshop_Postcard_PDFs.

For more information about the workshop please visit:
https://www.sspboyd.ca/projects/generative-art-workshop


Workshop Description

"An in-person workshop all about Generative Art on October 29th, 2023 at the GAS gallery in Toronto’s east-end. Participants will learn what generative art is and will make some themselves.

What is this workshop all about?

This workshop introduces the concepts of generative art and focuses on creating pieces using basic drawing tools, rules sets, and chance. The workshop strives to be hands-on and collaborative.

Who is it for??

Are you curious about the world of generative art and want to try it yourself?
Are you intrigued by the interplay between human creativity and rule-driven processes?
Do you have little to no prior experience in generative art but are excited to explore the possibilities?

Then this workshop is for you!! We will endeavour to push the boundaries of conventional art and delve into the realms of generative creation.

While individuals with programming and digital art backgrounds might be intrigued, no computers will be involved in this workshop. The focus is on hands-on, analog generative art creation.

What is Generative Art?

Generative Art originated in the early 1960s with pioneering artists such as Vera Molnár and Manfred Mohr. It has roots in the early computer graphics and music experiments of that era. While it is typically associated with computers and code, the underlying principles of rules and constrained randomness lend it to any number of artistic mediums.

How do you make a piece of Generative Art?

To create a generative work of art, the artist defines a set of rules that are set into motion with some degree of randomness contributing to the completed artwork. A simple example is to create a 4x4 grid where each square is filled with varying colours based on inputs such as coin flips, or dice rolls. The resulting artworks are unique and original each time by following the same rules.

To fully realize a generative work of art, the artist must surrender some control over the final output to random chance. This uncertainty in the final output challenges ideas of authorship and explores the relationship between human creativity and machine-like processes.

What materials are required for this?

All materials can be either brought from home or purchased at a local dollar store.

- Pens or fine tipped markers (approx 6 colours),
- Pencils (regular graphite and approx 6 colours),
- Pencil Sharpener
- Ruler,
- Eraser,
- A pad of grid paper, approx 8.5”x11”,
- A pad of sketching or watercolour paper, approx 8.5”x11”,
- Pair of dice,
- Deck of playing cards,
- A coin to flip.

Where will the workshop be held?

The workshop will take place at the Gerrard Art Space (GAS) in Toronto, Canada. It is a wonderful gallery in the east-end neighbourhood of Little India.
https://www.gerrardartspace.com/"