Data Is Nature

A blog combining information and art, fascinating material and a treasure trove of beautiful images from the real world…

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‘Luscious immense collection of fresh visual ideas: Nature + computing + art, graciously combined’ – Edward Tufte

Edward Tufte is Professor emeritus of political science, statistics, Yale University and well-known author of The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, Envisioning Information, Visual Explanations and Beautiful Evidence.

Photo taken during Flight from Luxor to Cairo – Paul Prudence

Dataisnature came into being in October 2004 initially collecting together artworks using computational techniques and algorithmic strategies. It was particularly interested in works that borrowed algorithms from the scientific community – re-appropriating code systems that modeled nature to create generative artworks. Along the way it realised that what it was really interested in was PROCESS. And more importantly the relationship between process to form – how rules generate structure.

It then began to gather artworks using ‘human computation’ and procedural creativity. In more recent years, its direction has shifted towards Earth Processes – metamorphic algorithms, aeolian protocols and hydro-dynamic computations – a systematic way of seeing the Earth as a generative spatio-temporal pattern making machine.

Dataisnature’s interest in process is far and wide reaching – it may also include posts on visual music, parametric architecture, computational archaeology, psychogeography and cartography, experimental musical notational, utopian constructs, visionary divination systems and counter cultural systems.

The impetus behind this weblog is to share and collate my findings in a central repository and publish for the benefit of interested communities.

Paul Prudence, June 2012