What is a generative algorithm?

Damien Hirst has been working closely with the HENI data science team for over a year to create a generative algorithm that digitally constructs artworks in 25 unique styles, developing and pushing the boundaries of what normal 'Spin Paintings' look like. The algorithm is written in p5.js, a JavaScript library, and is stored on-chain. A variety of techniques including WEBGL shaders, Perlin noise and trigonometric functions are used to create paint layers that mirror the defined yet unpredictable motion of paint as it moves across a canvas.

In the context of digital visual art, an algorithm is simply a list of instructions that a computer can execute to produce an image. In a generative algorithm, the instructions are applied to a variable initial state, or "seed" (often a random number), that influences the visual appearance of the resulting image.