RNDM - Artist-curated generative system

This project explores programming as a collaborator, a co-artist capable of surprise. Every output is temporary, unrepeatable and dictated by a system of controlled chance. By surrendering decisions like colour, scale, position and masking to randomness (within aesthetic constraints), each artwork becomes a fleeting artefact. Compositions only exist for a short time creating a sense of digital impermanence.

RNDM uses HTML, CSS and vanilla JavaScript to create full-screen, non-repeating artworks in real-time.

Each composition is formed by layering randomly generated geometric colour blocks and masked photographic elements, with the aesthetic dictated by a selected colour palette (“mood”) and a set of randomly chosen CSS blend modes.

These components are layered together using random positioning, turning the browser into a live compositing canvas. The composition will display for 20 seconds before it fades away and the process begins again.

All elements are positioned and scaled using vw/vh units ensuring that compositions adapt fluidly to any screen size without recalculating layout on resize.

RNDM is a progressive web app so it can be downloaded from the browser to exist as a standalone app on your phone.

The long-term idea is that future versions could simply plug different values into the same engine for radically different visual behaviours.

After a lot of refining I am happy with how the project is working, it doesn’t always generate something amazing, but hey, that’s art.

I’ve been experimenting with the idea of adding generative audio. My initial idea for this process is as follows:

• Each mood (colour set) is associated with a musical scale

• Within each scale is a set of audio files

• The system would randomly select 3 files and play them back simultaneously

• Audio variables would be associated with some of the randomly chosen visual styles e.g. the random transparency or blend mode of an image might decide the playback speed of the audio.

Another idea is that RNDM could become an online exhibition where each month a new Artist is invited to contribute their work. An Artist would be able to add their own images and curate the various options available within RNDM to keep the project evolving.

If you share a screenshot from RNDM on instagram, I would love it if you could tag it with #RNDM

RNDM was inspired by Artifactor – A big thanks to Sascha Bregenhorn at n2.studio for planting the seed of inspiration. I hope RNDM does the concept justice and provides an interesting evolution for others to build on.