[eu-gene] These are and are not products of thought

[Jim Andrews]

Hi Jane,

You can run Aleph Null yourself at http://vispo.com/aleph/an.htm . I 
recommend using Chrome or Firefox. As you'll see, it does stuff whether you 
change it or not. But it profits from a human driver immensely. The 
instructions at bottom right are very useful to help you get a sense of the 
controls that are available, and if you click the top left Aleph Null 
symbol, the controls become visible, whereupon you are encouraged to mess 
around with them.

"...was each image generated by running exactly the same programme, the 
outcome being different each time?"

Yes. The difference between the images is the result of both 
programmatically random factors, such as the initial selection of colors, 
and conscious decisions by me to set the controls to a particular 
configuration. As you play with Aleph Null, you come to understand what 
range of effect a particular slider, say, has on the look of the piece and 
you adjust the slider with a sense of anticipation which is sometimes 
rewarded, sometimes not.

The 165 screenshots are meant to display the stylistic range of Aleph Null 
in a beautiful way. Or perhaps it is just the stylistic range of Aleph Null 
according to me. Perhaps other people can create stills with Aleph Null that 
are outside the range of the 165 stills I created.

The next part of the project (to be done) is to be able to create a 
'playlist' of interesting bits. So that, without requiring a human driver, 
Aleph Null will display something like the stylistic range we see in the 
stills.

Then I want to set it up on a big 40"+ touch screen.

Thanks for your interest, Jane.

ja
http://vispo.com


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jane Barnard-Smith" <janebidgood at btinternet.com>
To: "generative art" <eu-gene at generative.net>
Sent: Saturday, December 17, 2011 11:13 AM
Subject: Re: [eu-gene] These are and are not products of thought


> Hi Jim
> Thanks for sharing your fascinating imagery with us. It seems to me that 
> the effect of the sequence of 165 images is far more powerful than the 
> presentation of a solitary image. Am I right in thinking that the 
> algorithm, Aleph Null, that you wrote generated all of them? In other 
> words, was each image generated by running exactly the same programme, the 
> outcome being different each time?
> With best wishes
>
> Jane
>
> Jane Barnard-Smith