CRUNCH

Media: Plotter Art
Print dimensions: 18x18 inch print area, 22x22 inch paper outer dims

Description: CRUNCH is algorithm-based artwork that was composed in the R Statistics language and produced using an Axidraw pen plotter. The algorithm involved a pair of distance-modulation functions that intersect from two origin points to determine the circle sizes, which produced interesting ramp-like waves and interference patterns with white lines on a dark background. This is similar in principle to a signed distance function.

This was my first pen plotter artwork, which involved some trial and error, and a little more entropy. Briefly, the process involved drawing each of the thousands of circles and semi-circles in the composition, then re-tracing the majority of them. Retracing allowed the white ink to absorb into the  black paper to varying degrees. By manipulating the number of times a circle was redrawn in relation to line width and circle size, this technique produced an interesting contrast scale for the rich, movement-filled texture. Because of the repeated drawing and number of elements in the composition, each print took approximately 6-8 hours to complete.

The materials used included black paper purchased locally, Arnhem 1618, which is a high-quality, 100% rag, acid-free printmaking paper. The circles in the composition were drawn with three different pens, with the largest circles drawn in the widest lines (white Sakura Gelly Roll #10), medium circles drawn with a medium line width (Sakura Gelly Roll #08), and smallest circles drawn in the thinnest lines (Sakura Gelly Roll #05). The thickest lines and medium lines were drawn twice, and the thinnest lines were drawn once.

These limited edition plotter prints are numbered 1-5 and hand signed in the 2 inch margin, and ship directly from the artist's studio in Charleston, SC.