"Floating Points" exhibit catalog

02.15.19

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03.24.19

Floating Points >

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Georgetown

Art

Center

Contents Thomas Athey

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Charles Heppner

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Tyler Hobbs

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Leslie Kell

10

Chalda Maloff

12

Paul McGuire

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Shirley Steele

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Contacts

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Floating Points >

Shifting the bounds of contemporary art In this exhibit, seven artists offer separate perspectives on digital creativity.

They begin with vastly different philosophies of the artist-computer interface and end with results as varied as the individual artists themselves.

From taking advantage of the computer’s ability to record minute details to its capacity for handling huge amounts of data, each artist expresses his or her own unique vision.

In their processes, the computer is sometimes a tool, sometimes a partner, a muse, a laboratory, a catalog, even an engine.

floating point, n. – a computer representation of a decimal numeric value, having a varying number of places after the decimal; opposite of fixed point

There are unique Floating Points in each artist’s work: a point of view, a point of reference, a point of conception, a point of discovery, a point of order, a point of fact, a point of surprise, perhaps even a point of no return. But in the end, the artists’ shared goal is the point of contact between the finished work and the human observer.

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Thomas Athey

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Sphaera Fortuitus

Thomas Athey’s

Lux Incisura

Constructio Angulus

Oceanus Quadratum

creative process is loosely modeled on memetics, the cultural analogue of biological evolution. Using images from his personal photographic archive, Athey creates complex image inheritance scenarios, applies targeted mutations to highlight desirable attributes and enforces rigorous selection pressures in a survival-of-the-fittest workflow that ultimately determines which images are included in the finished collage. In this context, these images can be viewed as unique, highly evolved organisms, subject to the same evolutionary forces as biological entities but free of the time constraints and vagaries of natural selection.

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Charles Heppner

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In the Backyard

Charles Heppner

is an artist currently living in Austin. Born in Chicago, he has a degree in Mathematics.

He began his art career as a painter, however, his practice has grown to include photography and mixed media box constructions. His Prayer Rug works exhibited here are intricate photographic compositions composed in the digital darkroom using tree images as the basis.

For Heppner, the works are prayers of gratitude for and about trees.

Oneness

Arboreal Jewels

Desire for Care

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Tyler Hobbs

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Reach

Tyler Hobbs h-line

attempt to understand

st-c

creates artwork primarily through custom computer programming and algorithmic patterns. His art programs carefully incorporate randomness into every aspect of the process, leading to imagery that pits structure versus chaos. This potent combination produces emergent, exploratory forms that are reminiscent of those found in fields as diverse as physics, geology, and biology.

Ultimately, personal emotional response is the primary driver behind Tyler’s work. The work is not pre-planned, but slowly developed as a series of experiments, with the results of each change receiving careful consideration.

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Leslie Kell

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One More Dream

Leslie Kell creates

her surreal artworks using an original technique that synthesizes her artistry in design and photography.

She works with architectural forms to create virtual environments in which her photos are assembled into the spaces and patterns of her visionary designs. As the imagery interacts to create the highlights, shadows, contours, and textures of the new image; it also mingles and blurs to offer discoveries deeper within the composition. The result reveals a place you might not recognize—but, somehow, have been waiting to visit.

The more you look, the more you see.

In a Palace of Mirrors

Spring From Night

Wings Spread Bright

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Chalda Maloff

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Tradition and Innovation

Chalda Maloff

Altar of Secrets

Breath of Fire

Lucid Dream

creates digital paintings using a combination of freehand electronic tablet drawing and her developed complement of digital techniques. She does not use photographic processes in her work. She employs art software to simulate and synthesize various aesthetic effects, producing outcomes that evoke emotion, sensuality, and spirituality.

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Paul McGuire

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wave

Paul McGuire’s

work is a blend of Art and Mathematics. His algorithmic process of constrained disorder recreates complexity that evokes natural forms: the path of lightning through the air; the contour of a mountain ridge; the flow of water as it erodes and shapes a hillside; the plume of smoke from a fire’s embers. These patterns offer repeated discoveries to the viewer, as new interpretations and features unfold from the intricate details.

creation

water music II

fire flower

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Shirley Steele

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hello world: English_01

Shirley Steele’s

hello world: Installation view

hello world: Punjabi_03

hello world: Chinese_01

artwork reflects her lifelong interest in words, language, and the sounds of speech.

Drawing on her earlier career as a research scientist in computer speech, she uses art to explore visual representations of language and their use in contemporary technology. Her creative practice involves writing custom computer code, creating digital animations, printing output images, and painting on transparent media.

Her new series, entitled hello world, uses many different languages and writing systems to represent the well-known tech meme, “hello world,� often the first text that new programmers learn to print to the screen. Juxtaposing traditional writing systems with contemporary emojis and tech symbols, Steele explores the idea that the invention of language and its various representations is an ongoing, living human endeavor.

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To learn more about the participating artists please visit their individual websites.

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Thomas Athey the-memeplex.com tathey@swbell.net

Charles Heppner charlesheppner.com heppchas@mac.com

Tyler Hobbs tylerlhobbs.com tyler@tylerlhobbs.com

Leslie Kell lesliekell.com leslie@lesliekell.com

Chalda Maloff chalda.com cmaloff@medium-s.com

Paul McGuire paulmcguireart.com PHOTO CREDITS:

Page 13: Chalda Maloff portrait by Max Yawney

Shirley Steele

Page 16, 17: Installation

steelestudio.com

photos by Annie Winsett

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ptmcg@austin.rr.com

shirleysteele01@gmail.com

The Georgetown Art Center is located at 816 South Main Street in the heart of downtown Georgetown, TX. Hours of operation are Sunday: 1 to 5 PM Monday: Closed Tuesday to Saturday: 10 AM to 6 PM

georgetownartcentertx.org

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