Vellum LA Artist Showcase: Realism through Algorithmic Abstraction with Generative Artist Matthew Hughes

In collaboration with StandardVision, Vellum LA continues its site specific art programming on the exterior digital facade at Melrose & Spaulding with generative artist Matthew Hughes’s Slices series, on view through October 31st.

Currently working as a data scientist, Matthew Hughes began producing visually interesting generative pieces in his spare time from an exploratory perspective, driven by a fascination with the process of code-based art and the ways in which incorporating algorithm into art resulted in beautiful and unexpected outputs. His Slices series is comprised of colorful generative abstractions hypnotically undulating and looping to create a seamless output of textures. The result of the series is shockingly organic, with the natural patterns creating an almost floral aesthetic. This realistic and biological quality juxtaposes Hughes’ code-based, abstract process, culminating in a blend of the digital and physical worlds.

With the goal of employing as many parts of his code as possible, Hughes often intentionally changes the variables in his work to values that shouldn’t work just to see what will happen. The artist claims that the only philosophy behind his pieces is to simply produce visually interesting artwork that brings a tangible presence to the algorithms with which he works. When he starts a piece there is usually no particular goal in mind, and the experimentation leads to exciting and unexpected outcomes.

Matthew Hughes is a Generative artist working out of Sheffield, England, with a Masters degree in Computer Science. Hughes started making art after seeing plotter artists posting their works on Twitter and listening to lectures on generative art. The artist has only been making work for a little over a year, but has already started to explore a range of styles. Alongside his digital works created in processing, Hughes uses a pen plotter to produce physical copies of the work. Catch Matthew Hughes’ Slices on view at the exterior digital facade at Melrose & Spaulding, and see more of the artist's work on his Instagram.