Simon Schofield creates digital images of enormous vitality and complexity, each composed from immense constellations of detailed sub-elements. He uses this technique to capture the vibrancy seen in nature and scientific phenomena, or to explore the limits of drawing and pattern using vast fields of tiny drawn elements and endless reconfigurations of decorative symbols and motifs. Despite their complexity, many of his images achieve a quietly meditative, oceanic quality.

In order to construct these surfaces Simon has developed new software tools that assemble the images over time, using many thousands of repeated operations, according to sets of rules. These are then saved out and printed on to paper or fabric in a range of sizes in order to expose their full richness. This talk will focus on the role of controlled randomness in image making.

Simon Schofield [ www.simonschofield.net] is a software designer and visual artist. His past developments include the Piranesi 3-D painting system, and the AudioROM interactive music system . The work presented in this seminar is as a result of a 2-year NESTA Fellowship.