UNDERCURRENTS BY MELISSA WIEDERRECHT
This was part of an ongoing series of articles that released was digitally in May 2023. They were first published in the print edition of the Bright Moments Quarterly that was distributed at Bright Moments Tokyo in Tokyo, Japan.
Malte Rauch: Hi Melissa, thanks so much for taking the time to do this interview! How did you get started in generative art?
Melissa Wiederrecht: I taught myself to code at age 12, starting with HTML and then Visual Basic. I also spent countless hours making art, both in classes (in which I learned drawing and painting), but also at home where I spent hours and hours every day playing with Photoshop. When I was 14, I got a job as a web designer, and while I was there I learned Flash. During that time, I came across a book called “Flash Math Creativity” and that book really inspired me to get into Generative Art. I spent a few years before college playing around with the ideas in that book and making animations in Flash - which ultimately landed as screensavers on my computer.
I went on to get a BS in Computer Science and Math, followed by an MS in Computer Science. After college, I picked up generative art again, starting with animations, and then moving on to generative surface pattern design. I eventually found my way to the NFT space and switched over to working with Javascript and GLSL and making collections for Artblocks and fxhash and other platforms and exhibitions.
The aesthetic of abstract painting plays an important role in your work. What interests you about this visual language?
Some of my works incorporate elements inspired by abstract paintings, and some do not. I love to incorporate elements of a good painting, however, because the colors, textures, and compositions often resonate with me deeply. On the other hand, I have never tried to perfectly emulate a realistic painting with code. My goal is to take what is great about a painting and take it even further. I want to utilize the great parts of abstract painting as well as the great things that only generative art can do, and make something entirely new.
What are the main inspirations in your artistic practice?
When it comes to generative art, I have been influenced by the work of Tyler Hobbs and Jared Tarbell. These artists have shown me the potential of using generative tools to create complex and intricate compositions and I continue to be inspired by their work.
But I also find inspiration in traditional art forms. Scott Naismith's painting "Warmth Emanates" is particularly inspiring to me. I am drawn to the vibrant colors and dynamic composition of this piece. I believe that references to Naismith's work can be found in many of my projects. I also find myself drawn to decorative abstract art. I find these compositions to be incredibly calming. There is something meditative about the pleasing compositions of these works, which I find inspiring.
What is your creative practice like? Do you start with analog sketches or by directly working with the code? Do you create during specific hours of the day or are you working more sporadically?
My creative process is often sporadic and unorganized. When I begin a new project, I am often unsure of where it will lead me, but I find that this sense of uncertainty is what makes the artistic process exciting. Sometimes I begin with a highly technical idea that I want to explore. But the initial idea usually has very little to do with the final result.
One technique that I have found helpful in generating ideas is to engage in brainstorming sessions with AI tools like Midjounrey. During these sessions, I will often start with a basic image or prompt and use it as a jumping-off point for exploring different shapes, colors, and textures.
For example, during a recent brainstorming session, I gave Midjourney some of my own artwork images as well as the prompt “realistic oceanscape at sunset” and the resulting images made me incredibly excited. I hope to make a collection inspired by those images in the near future.
That’s fascinating. As you know, we will exhibit an AI collection with 11 artists alongside the generative collection in Tokyo. What are your thoughts around the state of AI art?
I find AI art to be super exciting, actually. Before the release of text-to-image models recently, I had it in my head that I wanted to experiment with GANs. When text-to-image models were released, however, I turned to AI more as a tool for inspiration than as something I want to use to make my final pieces. I love the challenge of working deep in the technical details of code to be inspiring and retaining that technical challenge in my tools of choice is important to me.
What was your first contact with BM?
I have been watching Bright Moments for a while, and it always looked like so much fun. And Bright Moments was obviously working with all the best artists in the field of generative art.
Several months ago, Seth reached out to see how we can work together. I suggested being part of the Tokyo collection and that was that. Tokyo is associated with sheer energy for me; it excites me
What are you working on for the Bright Moments Tokyo?
I have been back and forth with Midjourney a lot trying to solidify my ideas for Tokyo. I have two directions that I am pursuing… bright, colorful, high energy cityscape sort of design, or highly textured wabi-sabi inspired designs. I am very sure that the final product is unlikely to resemble either sets of inspiration much at all, but they are a really fun starting point.
