Complementary Dot Logic

Complementary Dot Logic was inspired by a series of OP Art paintings done by Victor Vasarely, called Code (Les Bleus). (c. 1967) Vasarely died in 1997 in the early days of computer art. I'm sure he would have embraced this medium. This is the sixth in a series of Vasarely inspired Generative Art pieces I am offering.

I became interested in Victor Vasarely's graphic artworks while I was in art school. As I struggled to learn computer graphics I wondered how do I write a program to produce imagery with a similar aesthetic? I call the process of creating algorithms inspired by other artists: "Art"ificial Intelligence.

My version of the composition has been expanded from the original 3 x 3 to 5 x 5 elements. However, while there may be a grid of 5 x 5 squares in the composition there is a grid of 9 x 9 circles superimposed over the squares.

First a random color is chosen for the overall background. Each square is drawn in its place in a random color and that color value is saved. On a second pass the circles are drawn, if they fall in the middle of a square they are rendered in that squares' complementary color. If the circle falls between the squares it is rendered in the background color appearing to alter the shape of the underlying square.

Again, there are many Gestalt interactions within this piece. The most prominent being the figure-ground relationship. The in-between background colored squares form a strong unifying structure, as do the other similar shapes. In Gestalt, similar shapes are seen together as a unifying whole.

Dr. Bill Generative Art OG @ drbillkolomyjec.com