Style coding

A central role of the computer in the future of creative practice has been identified as that of a ‘colleague’. To this end my research has worked towards the development of personalized generative software that can be integrated into my daily creative practice at an intimate level. This research proposes that the formal and conceptual processes that manifest a personal visual style in digital art practices can be codified as discrete software functions. As such they can then be usefully deployed independently of direct human authorial agency. Drawing on Richard Wollheims ‘Generative Conception of Style’, I establish that generative computational practices remain ontologically consistent with a human-centered model of creative process. Reassessing Wollheim’s thesis in light of current insights from cognitive science, I propose that the cognitive development of individual style processes in traditional practice is comparable with the development of personalized generative software. From insights gained through the practical application of my research in my professional visual art practice, I discuss the advantages that a generative model offers common creative aspirations. I conclude that the relevance of my research extends beyond the concerns of my own practice and suggest that a generative model of process may become a significant paradigm of production in the creative industries of the future.