CAMILLE ROUX & MATTHIEU SEGRET: THE DESTINATION
Part of a series of articles & interviews released digitally that were first published in the print edition of the Bright Moments Quarterly that was distributed at Bright Moments Paris in Paris, France in February, 2024.
Bright Moments: Hi Matthieu and Camille! Thank you for joining us. To start, could you share more about your journeys in generative art and how you began?
Camille Roux: Certainly! Matthieu and I, despite being two distinct individuals, have quite parallel paths. We're both based in Montpellier, South of France, and our generative art journey began around two and a half years ago. Our backgrounds are in computer engineering, and we've shared a professional journey too – we've been CTOs, freelancers, and co-founded a computer science training company 12 years ago.
Our foray into generative art and creative coding started two and a half years ago, leading us to publish projects on fxhash. On a personal note, I've collaborated with 256art for Folradura, and was an artist in residence with Bright Moments for Intricada in March 2023. I've also released some 1/1 pieces on SuperRare. This past summer, Matthieu and I embarked on our first collaborative venture with The Source on GM studios, a project that was a year in the making.
What brought you to do art with code. What was the catalyst?
Camille Roux: Matthieu and I might have different perspectives on this. For me, having been a developer for many years, I’m very used to playing with code. It’s always fun creating visual elements with it. My work as a web developer was influenced by my interest in the visual dimension of things. I still have some souvenirs from the visual projects I worked on back in engineering school.
About three years ago, I stumbled upon generative art on Instagram. Traditional art in museums often felt inaccessible to me, but generative art was different – it was immediately engaging. I understood its process and the challenges it presented. This sparked my enthusiasm to create my own art, delve into key algorithms, and discover renowned artists in this field. My background in producing electronic music, particularly with (semi-)modular synths, also resonated with this new form of artistic expression due to their similarities.
Matthieu Segret: My journey was a bit different. Living in Paris for about a decade gave me countless opportunities to immerse myself in the art scene through exhibitions, museums, and galleries. While I've always appreciated art, I felt more like an observer than a participant. Generative art bridged this gap, allowing me to leverage my coding skills as a creative outlet. It is a pleasure to be able to contribute actively to the art world now.
My current fascination lies in the physicality of art – its shadows, reflections, and textures. That's why I'm exploring ways to transform digital creations into physical artworks.
Thank you for sharing. It’s always fascinating to understand the inspirations behind an artist’s work. Speaking of which, in your recent collaborative project The Source, you’ve impressively recreated organic elements like color and texture. What draws you to the challenge of recreating textures, particularly in the realm of generative art?
Matthieu Segret: My interest in textures, especially those in watercolor paintings, is deeply influenced by my personal connections. I'm surrounded by watercolorists, including my girlfriend and her family. Their work with this medium intrigued me, and I tried my hand at it. However, I wasn't as precise and skilled as I’d wished. That's when the idea struck me: why not recreate this watercolor texture using generative art?
This approach allowed us to digitally simulate the natural flow and animation of paint, effectively bridging two seemingly disparate worlds – the tangible, physical realm of traditional art and the abstract, mathematical realm of code. I am very pleased with the result we achieved with The Source.
Camille Roux: My passion for generative art lies in creating pieces that captivate at every zoom level, where the intricacy of textures and details are as meticulously crafted as the overall composition. My fascination with mathematics and shaders drives this approach. I enjoy delving into every aspect of a project, infusing a sense of organic authenticity by intentionally incorporating slight imperfections. This approach brings a unique, lifelike quality to the work, making it more engaging and realistic.
The integration of digital and physical elements in your projects, often cr
We believe that the generative approach reveals a unique aspect of the human condition: a desire for autonomy in creative processes. This concept of autonomy is central to our understanding of generative art. We were drawn to algorithms two decades ago because of this idea that a system, method, or algorithm can possess a degree of decision-making independent of the creator. This interplay between our creative instincts and an autonomous entity leads to surprising discoveries and creative opportunities. We've realized that this dynamic has existed for a long time, and we see ourselves as part of a continuum, extending this tradition into our time.
It seems that in your upcoming Bright Moments Paris project, you’re continuing to explore the watercolor textures and organic themes. Could you tell us more about The Destination?
Camille Roux: Absolutely. In The Destination, we've allowed ourselves greater freedom in terms of realism, while still emphasizing texture and organic elements. This piece conveys an organic essence, but it's abstract enough that you can't quite pinpoint what it resembles. We pushed beyond realism to further challenge ourselves in creating engaging, organic textures. Crafting these slightly imperfect details was time-consuming but essential.
We're excited to present this in Paris, where viewers will be able to see the effort put into adding imperfections and textures on screen or on paper. It's a significant task to create imperfection in generative art, as machines tend to produce perfect outputs by default.
Thematically, The Destination mirrors the vast and mesmerizing expanses of space, with visuals that suggest solar systems, stars, and galaxies. It also reflects a personal aspect for Matthieu and me. We both immerse ourselves deeply in our passions, often surprising our friends with the extent of our dedication and enthusiasm. The Destination symbolizes this pattern of moving from one hobby to to another, signifying both a journey and a progression from one point to another.
Furthermore, the name The Destination plays off our previous work, The Source, symbolizing a beginning and an end. It's also a nod to our computer science roots – in programming, we often specify a source and a destination file, so it's a bit of a geeky reference.
As a final question, what are your plans for the future? Do you intend to focus primarily on code-based generative art or also delve into physical media?
Matthieu Segret: I think Camille and I might have different responses to this question. Personally, I am fascinated by what can be achieved with digital art—3D, animations, real-time graphics—but I feel a somewhat stronger pull towards physical art. That's why I'm exploring a physical art path in parallel with digital art. Currently, I'm exploring a blend of both. My experiments involve various techniques like printing, plotter cutting, pen plotting, real painting, and creating physical volumes. In my practice, digital and physical art aren't separate entities; they complement and enrich each other. I also enjoy displaying art in my home, at exhibitions, and in others' spaces. That's one reason I'm interested in printing an edition of The Source for home display.
Camille Roux: As for me, my future is likely to be more digitally oriented. I'm eager to continue exploring compositions, algorithms, techniques, and color management. There are many ideas I'm ambitious about pursuing! Interacting with people on social networks, particularly Twitter, is also an integral part of my process. The feedback and ideas shared by my followers are invaluable. They often help me make decisions or spark new ideas. So, feel free to follow me at @camillerouxart, watch my work-in-progress, and suggest ideas or provide feedback. This interaction has always been a key aspect of my project development, as I value the input and perspectives shared on social media.
