Week 2 – Generative Artwork – Kamila Dautkhan

Concept:

let a = 0;
let b = 0;
let c = -1;
var z = 0;
var cef = 45;

function setup() {
  createCanvas(1000, 1000);
  background(200);
}

function draw() {
  
  translate(width/2, height/2);
  rotate(b);
  
  for(let i=0; i < 500; i++){
    
    let x = b*sin(i*300 + c -(a*23));
    let y = 100*a*cos(i*100 + b * c);
    
    let xx = 15*PI*cos((cef+30)*i+z);
    let yy = (45+z%10)*PI*tan((cef-30)*i+z);
    
    stroke(0);
    point(x,y);
    point(xx,yy);
 
  
}
  
  a++;
  b+=0.1;
  c-=5;
  z+=0.01;
  if(1) {
    //cefInc = -cefInc;
  }
  if(cef > 7200) {
    cefInc = -cefInc;
  }
}

 

I personally really appreciate minimalist artworks that is why I created this generative art piece. For me, this piece is about how much mood and tension you can create with almost no visual information at all, and how something that looks quiet and minimal on the surface can still feel alive and constantly shifting underneath. I just wanted to force the focus onto rhythm, contrast, and empty space. I did not use any colors other than black and white to create a sense of sophistication. Also, I think if I added other colors it might be distracting for the audience. It’s meant to be looked at slowly. The longer you stare, the more small patterns and tensions appear between the shapes. 

Code I am particularly proud of:

  let xx = 15*PI*cos((cef+30)*i+z);

  let yy = (45+z%10)*PI*tan((cef-30)*i+z);

I am especially proud of this little detail: z % 10 because it introduces a subtle pulse in the y‑movement, so the motion doesn’t feel flat or robotic. It’s a small trick, but it adds character

 

Reflection:

This generative piece that I made showed me how much I can get out of very little. With just a few evolving variables and some trigonometric functions, I ended up with two overlapping systems of points: one smoother and orbital, the other more unstable and spiky. Their interaction creates a black and white field that feels both structured and slightly out of control, which is exactly the mood I was thinking of. For the future improvements, I would like to make it more interactive for the audience by letting the mouse directly influence the main parameters in my system. For example, the horizontal mouse position could control cef, slowly changing the structure of the tan based pattern, while the vertical position could affect a or z, changing the scale.