Software is Art

Programming Languages used: Processing (Java)
Project Domain: Data Visualization, Generative Art

Software is Art is a generative artwork which uses an algorithm to translate any computer file into an image.

The algorithm first interprets whatever type of file it is given as ASCII characters. It then colour maps the ASCII characters to various opacities of red, green, blue, and yellow. The result is a pixelated looking image which represents the data contained in each file.

The algorithm transforms traditional 'works of art' such as music, photographs, and literary masterpeices into images that are quite boring to look at while transforming the various coding languages into more aesthetically pleasing images. In this way the algorithm seeks to show that code can be beautiful and that software is art.

Some examples of images prodcued by the algorithm and their source material.

Processing.exe


Blue Oyster Cult - Don't Fear the Reaper.mp3


A collection of .java files I wrote combined into a single file.


The complete text of Pride and Prejudice.


The HTML of the Wikipedia page for Earth.


The cascading style sheet that corresponds with the previous HTML document.


A jpeg photograph.