Algorithmic art

Algorithmic art, also called algorithm art, is visual art in which the design itself is generated by an algorithm, with practitioners sometimes called algorists working across digital paintings, sculptures, interactive installations and musical compositions. The underlying idea is not new to computing: rule-governed design appears in Islamic geometric patterns and traditional weaving long before electronic computers existed, and the field simply gained new tools and possibilities as computing technology matured. Because the artist sets the generating rules and input criteria but does not directly control the resulting output, algorithmic art lets creators produce intricate compositions that would be extremely difficult or impossible to execute by hand, trading direct control for rule-driven complexity.