Generative Art Timeline · Chapter 7: Net Era (1990s)

1993

AI Infinity by John Maeda

Artwork · Europe

John Maeda's AI Infinity: the accumulated stroke of an infinite loop written in PostScript, halted after 10,000 passes, as published on the artist's own studio site.
John Maeda's AI Infinity: the accumulated stroke of an infinite loop written in PostScript, halted after 10,000 passes, as published on the artist's own studio site. John Maeda, AI Infinity. Courtesy of the artist, MAEDASTUDIO.

“I recall being surprised by how the computer could do so much at the beckon of a few lines of code.” -John Maeda This profound work marks Maeda’s return to computer programming using the PostScript language after a long hiatus. Inspired by his typography teacher’s questions about Maeda’s ultimate motivation in life, Maeda crafted this piece. He made it for the NeXT computer, with the piece itself featuring an infinite loop, symbolizing the endless potential of digital creation. This concept would appear in future books, such as How To Speak Machine (2019). Maeda halted the drawing at the 10,000th loop stroke. This work not only represents a pivotal moment in Maeda’s career but also reflects his journey from aspiring classical typographer to digital pioneer. AI Infinity holds deep personal significance, illustrating the convergence of his artistic and technological passions.

Text by Peter Bauman. Generative Art Timeline, Le Random.

People

John Maeda

Movements

digital art, generative art, graphic design

Filed under

Ideas
digital art, generative art, graphic design, typography
Technologies
PostScript, programming
People
John Maeda
Works
AI Infinity, How to Speak Machine
Organisations
NeXT

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