Assignment – 02 -Art and The API (And IFTTT)

My first recipe on IFTTT was all about utility. The one which I currently have running saves all of the photos taken on my mobile device to my cloud storage account. I like that a lot because having a reliable way to backup my data (especially after multiple recent hardware crashes) is a top priority. IFTTT’s formulas all have utilitarian roots.

The idea of having a “formula” for art seems a bit out of whack. Add a touch of composition here, a bit of color here and *bam*, art. While Jim Campbell’s infinitely looping “formula for art” does express common themes in the realm of computer art it leaves out vital portions of the art itself. The response and interactions which the art elicits. Jer Thorpe’s “Art and the API” effectively communicates how artists can design seemingly impressive technical projects, which can still hold an impressive amount of weight in an artist context.