rudxanePiezo

rudxane holds a deep admiration for structure and grids, energized by their quintessential standing within generative & net art. While the grid itself is rigid and defined, there are boundless possibilities to experiment within this strict arrangement. Grids come with additional context, where each block contains “information” and can be made relational in terms of the entire piece.

Each output in Piezo is composed of lines, which are experienced as a printable surface that does not receive a full/flat layer of paint but a spray-like grain that’s based on the size and density specified in each grid block: motivated by how colors bleed through and interact with each other when using a light density layer of paint from a spray-can.

The makeup of line-based drawing is grounded in reinterpreting printing processes, while the spray-like effect is influenced by the manual chaos that comes with spraying a layer of paint on specific lines. Within the background, dotted structures serve as a foundation, similar to physically drawing grids on paper. Each individual aspect is in conversation with the context around itself. Each grid block is randomly assigned a value of spacing to apply the lines of “paint”, at times dense (where each line is touching or overlapping the previous one to create a dense color) or heavily spaced apart (to make the line structure for that block more apparent). Additionally, the spacing influences the speed of drawing and how the lines interact with the blocks around it.

By applying lines in a sine function, the spacing at the edges of each block becomes denser than the middle. This aids in discerning the structure generated by the grid, and causes colors to shine through boldly in relation to the whole piece. Standing close, we witness structure and lines individually – the depth and variety of spacing, yet from a distance everything slowly starts to fade together. While seemingly linear, there are chaotic aspects of an overlapping element, like the blurring when looking out the window of a bullet-train as buildings pass by.

The structure is built from a simple recursive grid but instead, mirroring each grid block on the x-axis to the left (effectively doubling its width). Through this, grid blocks overlap each other and start to interact together through palette blending and line speed which is applied to each individual grid block. “Piezo” was formed from working with a very rigid and structured system, while intending to break it apart through this mirroring.

All color palettes are entirely generative, selected as a base of 2-7 colors which are then assigned to individual grid locations. In previous work rudxane often used predetermined palettes, Piezo is a journey to reach out of comfort zones: to use randomness in selecting a base of colors that either contrast or complement each other. Each rectangular section manifests a limited color palette, which is then fused by mixing with different densities to form subtle gradients of color.

Created in Vanilla JS, through code rudxane has found the perfect combination of using a methodical approach while still focusing on the expressive side of visual work. This process requires him to translate visual ideas back into a system, peeling away all the layers of an idea to find the core concepts that create the final image. Based on an extensive use of math, it may come as a surprise that rudxane doesn’t necessarily enjoy it, although it always comes naturally. He constantly thinks in systems, analyzing each individual cog in the machine to understand how it works.

Piezo, ties to rudxane’s prior generative series “Fold” in terms of intention of process, both works expressing a focus on utilizing particular techniques & aesthetics to birth variety in outputs.

Text by Ivan Zhyzhkevych.