I like to build algorithmic art. The piece of it I find the most satisfying is the tinkering.
You create some code to create an image from some settings, and then you play around with the
settings to find the most satisfying combinations of inputs. This process isn’t technical, it’s
just an expression of pure exploration and aesthetic judgement.
To allow everyone the joy of this kind of tinkering and discovery, a friend and I built ABOUND.art -
a platform for generative art. Anyone can upload an algorithm, and then anyone else can play around
with it, no code needed.
We spent ~6 months part time working on it, and solved a plethora of hard problems. We figured
out how to run untrusted code cheaply. We figured out how to build generic multipart forms. We
figured out a cost structure to make sure we didn’t hemmorage money, and we built a lot of cool
art.
The platform didn’t take off in large part because we aren’t great at the stuff outside of building.
Marketing and self promotion are not our strengths. Eventually, we gave up trying to make it
happen, and just celebrated it for what it was: a gorgeous thing that we built and loved to use.
The site is still live, and you can explore and access it at https://abound.art.
Check out the instructions on the about page.
Happy tinkering!