Peter McClard

Artist and innovator Peter McClard is a pioneer in the field of algorithmic art, i.e. art that is meta-generated with special original software through the use of artist-controlled algorithms. With a rare combination of artistic and mathematical prowess, Peter was among the very first artists to explore this new medium starting in the 1980s and remains, unquestionably, one of the best and most recognizable. As a master algorithmic artist, his art is impossible to imitate by others and often leaves art experts scratching their heads as to how exactly he does it, which is a closely guarded secret.

Many of Peter McClard’s artworks are based on photographs, art, or illustrations of people, animals, or objects, though he often draws or composes original abstract subjects for his process. A simple subject is his favorite because it allows the complex textures, colors, and forms of his art to heighten the beauty found in a simple thing and vice versa. As with many of the works on this site, Peter often works with iconic imagery of historical figures or images. Once he settles on a subject, he will explore many variations using his unique process, often producing a closely related, yet astonishingly varied set of art (inquire about acquiring a highly valued full set). Also, he has been known to combine high-resolution photographic images with meta-generated art such as his spectacular Hubbleangelo series.

Because of the mathematical foundation of his work, Peter McClard’s art has an eternal aspect (math never decays) and the powerful ability to scale to any size imaginable with no loss of quality because everything is described as a mathematical formula instead of “pixels”. These complex Master Files are then stored securely in an Escrow account from which a final rendering can be made to any specification. Inquire about obtaining rights to a Master File.

This vector artwork is protected by International Copyright laws and is sold with copyright restrictions that disallow reselling of the files themselves in any form or the commercial use in reselling more than one print or any form of mass production without prior written consent from Werlin Design Group, LLC / dba Brilliance Gallery

Artist Statement

I have been working since the 1980s as an algorithmic artist on a proprietary art system I refer to as the Art Fountain. The subjects and compositions I choose vary extensively from photographs to existing artworks and original compositions but I tend to like simple subjects that explore the beauty or facets of ordinary objects or a person or an animal which I then abstract. I have little interest in standard computer graphics or filter effects but am more concerned with colors and interesting textures created from geometrical primitives that subtly reflect the subject in a unique way. Because its roots are mathematical, the size of my art is independent of the form. I seek to combine the power and infinitude of mathematics with the aesthetics of color, composition, and texture in an organic, non-computery way. The larger this art is viewed, the more it can be appreciated for the fine details it contains which is not always practical. As such, my art is theoretically conceived to be larger than I can possibly make it. Obviously, the web is less than ideal for showing large art, because it loses its impact as a whole but the ideas can be explained and size alluded to.

Reflection

As an algorithmic artist, I have been creating mixed media artworks and software since the early 1980s. My background is one that embraces music, art, philosophy, and science in equal measure, informing my process. In 1989, I invented Pixound, a program that translates color into music—that was a fun discovery. I also created Hyperchord where the user could draw riffs and listen to them in any scale and key, at any speed. Over several decades I've been developing custom "mathematical paint brushes" which allow me to explore an imaginative frontier in a manner I believe was never before possible. The works I make public are a small fraction of what I've created.

My art is mostly conceptual and not so much about creating beautiful things as it is about beautiful ideas for things. My main medium is not pigment suspended in oil, but artful algorithms, liberally redirected by chance. I create by exploring a realm that lies beyond my imagination and my physical skills, using mathematics and computers as tools. When these abstract ideas take on a final physical form it can't be dull and mechanical. The object needs to have a surface and feel that does justice to the visual discovery I've made. I continue to experiment in this area using all sorts of amazing new materials. My art can take on any form, from an ever-changing video installation to a detailed painting the size of a building to a hundred minuscule, unique portraits of a dog on wood.

There is a long history of collaboration between artists and scientists, always pushing the boundaries. Artists aren't about to let some new material or medium get used by everybody else and not use it themselves. They are often scientists themselves—hypothesizing, experimenting, and discovering new methods of construction and expression. You see this from Da Vinci's experiments with pigments to Alber's color studies or David Salle's use of projectors for tracing images. Warhol fancied himself as a machine. Now the machines are much fancier and I'm happy to use them.

I have exhibited in New York, New Jersey, and New Mexico, and in 1992, I collaborated with my brother Michael (a New York artist), where we had the final installation in the full chronology of the human face called "A Visage Découvert", near Versailles, France at the Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art. Our installation which endlessly drew random faces was included amidst works by the luminaries of art including Picasso, Matisse, Giacometti, and many others as well as Maori and African masks and neolithic representations of the human face.

I welcome the opportunity to sell any art I create or create commissioned portraits and explorations of subjects of interest to others as well. Thank you for visiting the exclusive place to acquire my one-of-kind artworks, BrillianceGallery.com