Concept

For this assignment, I decided to create a simple artwork called Retro Grid Swirl. I was inspired by the bold geometric patterns I saw in the Computer Graphics and Art magazines from the 1970s. I wanted to capture that retro feel but also make it animated, so the grid of shapes would feel alive and moving.

The piece shows a grid of circles and squares that rotate and change size over time. Together, the movement creates a swirling, portal-like effect, as if the grid itself is moving.

Code I’m Proud Of

It took me some experimenting to figure out how to make the shapes switch between circles and squares. Once I added the condition based on frameCount, the grid started changing form every couple of seconds, and I really liked how dynamic it looked.

I also enjoyed playing with color alternation so the shapes wouldn’t feel flat. This made the grid feel more playful and gave it a stronger retro look.

if (floor(frameCount / 120) % 2 === 0) {
  square(0, 0, size);
} else {
  ellipse(0, 0, size);
}

Here’s the work of art I created:

Reflections

 I’m happy with how Retro Grid Swirl turned out. It’s simple, but the combination of loops, conditionals, and animation gives it a lot of life. I especially like how the grid feels balanced but never static , it always has something moving and shifting. At first, it was tricky to control the animation so it didn’t feel too chaotic. Using sine-based size changes helped make the motion smoother and more rhythmic.