Generative Threads:
This piece was inspired by my fast rewind choice, the Drawing Machine, in which patterns of looped embroidery floss appeared to me. I saw this as a possibility to use an an old medium and try to re-create a pattern that is reminiscent of generative art. Through this piece, I was able to explore certain limits of this medium but also discover techniques that I have not thought of before.
The extremely slow pace of embroidering gave me time to ponder about the enormous precision that can be achieved through tools such as the Drawing Machine or through programming, a precision that I failed to achieve (partly consciously in the later stages of making). However, this imprecision also illustrates my own progress throughout the work that I am very clearly able to see: when my technique was improving and when I was simply being too lazy, or how I decided what the patterns would look like, where I made changes or added details later on, etc.
There is also a big difference in the material quality of an embroidered artwork and a generative artwork. We are mostly used to seeing generative artwork in bright colors on a screen. While I first wanted to imitate this effect with bright colors, I realized quickly that thread does not have this quality of brightness. However, most threads do have a reflective quality that changes depending on the light, and therefore I chose to stick to white thread, which would force the viewer to shift their perspective in order to see the details of the work.
Another factor that played a role was control over how the pattern was distributed. Each dot and line can be placed, changed, or covered and does not follow any rules. Surprisingly, it can give more control over the artwork than generative art would be able to, as generative art often requires a form of controlled randomness and experimentation with the pattern that are created. While randomness can also be introduced in embroidery (e.g. following the flow of the thread), this randomness is imitated.
Through this piece, I learned how old and new media can influence each other and how the mix of them can re-structure creative practices in interesting and informative ways.