Gestalt

Gestalt is a philosophical principle which refers to our tendency as humans to perceive patterns, order and meaning within chaotic environments. The Gestalt project combines processes of image recognition and generative mark-making to emulate the phenomenon of pareidolia. Pareidolia occurs when looking at clouds or forms in rocks and trees, where we can find a face or animal even though nothing is there. ‘Gestalt’ reveals insights into the creative process by completely and mechanically abstracting it.

The work relies on a number of pseudo-autonomous robots to draw a patina of marks. This drawing is inspected by image recognition software which dictates the behavior of the robots accordingly. The work is a constant feedback loop steering a random set of lines towards recognizable forms and patterns. Gestalt is a continuously evolving, additive drawing performance.

With funding from Arts Council England and the British Council.