Roman Verostko with Seminal Article Epigenetic Painting

Verostko’s paper is said to have “identified biological analogues to autonomous form generating procedures. His ‘epigenetic art’ includes a limited edition of George Boole’s ‘Derivation of the laws illustrated with his own ‘personal expert system,’” known as Hodos.

Presented at FISEA in 1988 and published in Leonardo in 1990, the paper anticipated prompt-based AI in many ways, outlining a new era in art-making systems. Artists use program feedback to iteratively develop software, akin to refining compilers. The evolving software becomes a distinct art form, comparable to genetic code. Verostko envisions hybridization, coding art ideas from different creators, resulting in unique combinations like “Kandinsky-Mussorgsky” with audio and visual drivers. Anticipating future advancements, he sees artists easily constructing personal expert systems, fostering generational growth in improvisational works. In this uncanny process, software takes on a life of its own, requiring artists to humanize it—providing form and structure to align with artistic and life quality.