This collaboration with the artist Seyed Alavi, once my neighbor, was prompted by my wanting to explain how it is I work to Seyed. Of course, I learned a lot about how Seyed worked as well. I translated his ideas for composition first into abstractions, and then into code. And as things go, for both artists and computer programs, divergent and branching developments ensued from both Seyed and myself.
Boxes
[Click to generate a new random image.]
Seyed also brought an exacting way with materials which pressed hard against my focus on concept and structure. It mattered quite a lot what things looked like in every detail, which led to experiments with ink, paint, substrates — expanding greatly the range of materials used for plotting.
Boxes Red Black
[Click to generate a new random image.]
Seyed was of course influenced by Gee's Bend quilts, and I took the colors for the later screen works from pictures of those beautiful artifacts of African American craft.
Boxes Coloring Better
[Click to generate a new random image.]
Seyed's work can be found at http://here2day.netwiz.net and https://www.instagram.com/seyedalavistudio/