- published: 23 Nov 2011
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Generative art refers to art that in whole or in part has been created with the use of an autonomous system. An autonomous system in this context is one that is non-human and can independently determine features of an artwork that would otherwise require decisions made directly by the artist. In casual use "generative art" is often used to refer to computer generated artwork that is algorithmically determined. But generative art can also be made using systems of chemistry, biology, mechanics and robotics, smart materials, manual randomization, mathematics, data mapping, symmetry and tiling, and more.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's "Musikalisches Würfelspiel" (Musical Dice Game) 1757 is an early example of a generative system based on randomness. Dice were used to select musical sequences from a numbered pool of previously composed phrases. This system provided a balance of order and disorder. The structure was based on an element of order on one hand, and disorder on the other.
Composers such as John Cage and Brian Eno have used generative systems in their works.