Rhythm & the Machine

Lars Wander is a computer artist and programmer who exclusively creates art using code. His creative process involves spending significant time contemplating and sketching ideas for intriguing software systems. He establishes a set of rules that serve as the sole human input in generating each piece. By evaluating these rules, the machine generates unique and unpredictable outcomes. In Wander's creative approach, he emphasizes the importance of simple tools and often designs and constructs his own. He believes that the tools he uses greatly influence the final result of his artwork. Consequently, producing and maintaining his own tools is a source of joy for Lars. He employs vanilla Javascript and WebGL2 to generate his artwork. To maintain simplicity, Lars uses a local HTTP server to serve unbundled Javascript and incorporate shared and developed libraries across projects. He favors working on Linux due to its programmer-friendly environment. For plotter projects, Wander initially used Python but later switched to Julia, a high-performance language developed at MIT for scientific computing. This transition was necessary to address performance issues while ensuring ease of development. Despite Lars Wander's complete control over his creative process, he occasionally encounters moments where the computer's actions surprise him, almost magically. As an artist, he strives to capture these moments of unexpected beauty through algorithmic art.