Flight 404: Magnetic Ink

Robert Hodgin a.k.a. Flight 404 has been an old fave since the glory days of experimental personal websites, circa 1999-2001. Robert shifted focus from Flash to Processing and has been creating some beautiful generative work the past few years. His latest explorations are called Magnetic Ink.



For the first step, over a period of 100 frames, the gravity orbs paint their cross-section onto the paper where it intersects it. The second step, also cumulative over 100 frames, has the particle orbs raining down a mist of ink. The third step is where it gets fun. Every 100 frames, all of the geometry collapses onto the paper. Voila! Instant chaotic hair balls.

To give the piece a little extra depth, every 300 frames (every 3 geometry collapses) the paper slightly blurs the image painted on it. Over time, the old content fades and blurs as new content is placed atop it.

Check it out here and here.

[via Computerlove]