‘Thom Mayne: Constructing the Spontaneous’ showcases the architect’s digital art experimentations

An exhibition of Thom Mayne’s digitally assisted artwork is about to open at Vancouver’s Paul Kyle Gallery. From February 10th on, the gallery will present ‘Constructing the Spontaneous,’ a series of recently-made art created with computer algorithms that work as a commentary on the interplay between high technology, humanistic ideals, and expression.

The Morphosis founder’s creative formula feeds a base set of primitive geometries into the algorithm to generate images, which then become more complex compositions shaped by variables and selected by Mayne based on his self-defined artistic vision.

Images are then made into physical examples through what organizers call a “delicate and laborious UV printing process.” The digital twin for the prints is then destroyed, creating a scarcity for each image that hangs in the space. The colors of the artworks oxidize and evolve with time to add an additional layer of impermanence for viewers to behold. On the whole, organizers say they invite viewers into a “narrative of creation” introduced via a “new medium of digital intelligence that we are only able to glimpse and study from afar.”

The opening reception begins at 1 PM tomorrow at the gallery’s 4-258 East 1st Avenue space.