“Automatism” is a long-form generative artwork created by Yazid on Art Blocks, inspired by the free expression that arises from unconscious writing on a blank canvas. Through this piece, Yazid attempts to give machines the same blank canvas and see where their “brain” and “hand” will wander. The work explores 426 iterations of output, inviting viewers to actively interpret the visual result. The strokes mix various movements, such as irregular curves, straight lines, sudden turns, etc., and avoid overlapping with previously drawn strokes through a classic random walk algorithm.
There is no pre-programmed form in this work, but interestingly, viewers often feel symbols and meanings in the generated images. So where does your mind wander? What forms, symbols, and meanings do you see in these images that are traversed by machines?
365
“365” is a minimalist series of works created by Yazid, in which he makes one piece per day from January 1 to December 31, 2022. They are created using the p5.js library and are carefully selected from a large number of iterations using algorithms. The artist consciously selects the elements for each image, from basic elements such as dots, lines, and grids to basic color and texture choices, making it a short-form generative artwork.
The release of “365” is like a calendar that is flipped daily, with one selected iteration image created each day. This approach not only records the passage of time but also weaves short-form generative art into a road trip, inviting collectors to participate.
Hashed Cities
“Hashed City” is a set of minimal, abstract architectural volumes that are assembled into a skyline landscape imagined by the viewer, with different widths, heights, transparencies, and patterns determined by parameters. Each city has a unique random festival, and each iteration has two original backgrounds for day and night, which are updated every minute according to our time zone. In the iterations with a daytime background, the sun is only visible when the viewer is in daylight and updates its position every minute.
The work’s unique strokes demonstrate Yazid’s latest development in algorithms, simulating the texture of printing defects, with each instant update endowed with a random feature. This work is deeply inspired by early computer artists, such as Grace C. Hertlein’s “City Painting.”
Ir/rational Beauty
Since ancient Greek times, the golden ratio has been recognized as the most balanced and perfect proportion. Nowadays computers have become precise tools for artistic creation. Thanks to programs that can describe structures and their related scales, we can adjust parameters to change the shape of an object, determine the best solution based on audience feedback, and find effective rules for designing works.
Yazid discovered that in 2011, Herbert W. Franke (1927-2022) invited people to send him their best ratios through simple program operations on a Wolfram Demonstration web page titled “Is the Golden Ratio Really the Most Beautiful Proportion?” This inspired the concept of this work. Through various methods of using different ratios, such as dividing rectangles, changing aspect ratios, or selecting color ratios from a color palette, Herbert W. Franke’s diverse aesthetics and his openness to new technology, such as drawing instruments, silk screen printing, or 2D and 3D digital output, are presented in this work.
Hatched Forms <3
“Hatched Forms <3” generates dashed lines inside polygons through a customized algorithm, simulating the effect of ink drawing on paper. This work is a special edition: based on a snapshot taken on December 23, 2021, Yazid airdropped it to all collectors who had at least one of his works, thanking them for this wonderful journey shared with the community.
Unveiling Artistry
Yazid, from Brunei, creates generative art using code and algorithms. He explores the concept of minimalism, its meaning, and the boundaries between analog and digital materials. Through generative art in various forms, long and short, he seeks to discover the possibilities of collaborative creation between machines and human creativity. Yazid’s works are owned by many collectors and have been exhibited in various spaces around the world, including Singapore, Frankfurt (Museum Angewandte Kunst), Lugano, Valencia, London, Marfa, Hong Kong, and Art Basel Miami (2022).
