Matt DesLauriers
New perspectives on software as art
"Computational thinking is an important thread that connects different processes, and we will learn to use code as a tool, much like an artist would use a paint brush."
Matt DesLauriers wants to change the way we think about generative art. Inspired by generative pioneers such as Vera Molnar and Georg Nees, as well as internet-era software like Processing, DesLauriers examines what generative art has meant historically, and its possibilities for the future. He is fascinated by all things method and process, which he believes is too often neglected. “While the software is the source of all these artworks, the code is usually forgotten about in favour of a static reproduction.” DesLauriers proposes a view that considers “software as art” so that the making of t...
Matt DesLauriers wants to change the way we think about generative art. Inspired by generative pioneers such as Vera Molnar and Georg Nees, as well as internet-era software like Processing, DesLauriers examines what generative art has meant historically, and its possibilities for the future. He is fascinated by all things method and process, which he believes is too often neglected. “While the software is the source of all these artworks, the code is usually forgotten about in favour of a static reproduction.” DesLauriers proposes a view that considers “software as art” so that the making of the art is just as integral to the work as the final product.
DesLauriers’ projects often combine art and research without compromising on the integrity of either. For example, The Sferic Project (which began in 2023) is his experiment that records atmospheric noise in remote locations. He plans to use the recordings as an input source that can be used “as a source of randomness for a new series of generative and audio-visual artworks”. The input would function like an organic number generator that is more “random” than computer code that relies on mathematics. At the core of DesLauriers’ meticulous work is a genuine love for entropy and chance. The long-term nature of these projects allows his experiments to evolve over time – moving closer and closer to the ideal of a generative method.
Matt DesLauriers (he/him) was born in Toronto, Canada in 1990. He now lives and works in London, England.
“Another thing that inspired me a lot are Dadaist poetry and the Surrealist games that produce chance images or make-believe poems by following specific rules.”
DesLauriers also teaches creative coding and sees this as an important part of his open-access ethos. "The biggest change is in my workflow and teaching. I've been open-sourcing my tools and libraries to streamline my work and make it more accessible."
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