{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O239648"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O239648/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009BX5932/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009BX5932/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2009BX5932","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009BX1720","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O239648","accessionNumber":"E.1089-2008","objectType":"Drawing","titles":[{"title":"Meditation","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"Roman Verostko, born in Western Pennsylvania in 1929, maintains an experimental studio in Minneapolis where he has developed original algorithmic procedures for creating his art. Having been active as an exhibiting artist since 1963, his earliest use of electronics consisted of synchronized audio-visual programs dating from 1967-68. Aware of the awesome power of algorithmic procedure he began experimenting with code and exhibited his first coded art programs in the early 1980's.  In 1987 he modified his software with interactive routines to drive paint brushes mounted on a pen plotter’s drawing arm, (see references).\r\n\r\nThis work is an original drawing which is \"one-of-kind\". Each line was drawn on a plotter following the instructions given by Roman's program, Hodos.  For this special edition, marking the opening of 'Pathways' at Honeywell, Roman prepared a data file to control the parameters. Following a number of experimental runs with program refinements, he made a final setting. The plotter worked around the clock for several days yielding a remarkably rich and varied series of drawings.\r\n\r\nThe red seal imprint was hand stamped with one of several seals that were made for the artist when he taught in China. The Chinese name, Ke Rong-Meng, was given to the artist by his Chinese teacher. Many of the drawings in this series show a strong structural use of the void in relation to a cluster of drawing activity. This and other features of this series, have an oriental flavour which the artist has consciously used in designing the piece. For the artist this series has been a 'meditation'. \r\n\r\nThis kind of edition, with each drawing having a unique form, demonstrates how \"software art\" uses the computer as an information enriched medium. It also clearly demonstrates how \"software art\" works in a way analogous to \"genotype\". Roman's software, Hodos, is a code carrying the information necessary to generate a form. While the works realised with this code bear a strong family resemblance, each one has unique, individual qualities. This is why this kind of computer assisted work is called \"epigenetic\" - its processes are analogous to biological epigenesis. This should not surprise us since biological analogues commonly crop up in relation to software as in the recent spread of software \"virus\".\n\r\n(cit.: artist's own statement accompanying the work, Jan 13, 1989, Minneapolis)","physicalDescription":"Plotter drawing of brown lines, hand stamped with a red seal. The red seal is Chinese consisting of Chinese characters.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Verostko, Roman","id":"A28000"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"ink","id":"AAT15012"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"}],"techniques":[{"text":"plotter drawing","id":"x43893"},{"text":"computer generated","id":"x44521"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Plotter drawing on paper, generated from software (here: 'Hodos')","categories":[{"text":"Drawings","id":"THES48966"},{"text":"Computer Art","id":"THES49037"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2009BX5932","2009BX1720"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLF (VA)","id":"THES49656"},"free":"","case":"TOPIC","shelf":"8A","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"drawing","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Minneapolis","id":"x44537"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1989","earliest":"1989-01-01","latest":"1989-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by the American Friends of the V&A through the generosity of Patric Prince","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"30.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"23","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Red Chinese seal consisting of Chinese characters. A square of size 2cm x 2cm.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"In the upper right area of print."}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"This kind of edition, with each drawing having a unique form, demonstrates how \"software art\" uses the computer as an information enriched medium. It also clearly demonstrates how \"software art\" works in a way analogous to \"genotype\". Roman's software, Hodos, is a code carrying the information necessary to generate a form. While the works realised with this code bear a strong family resemblance, each one has unique, individual qualities. This is why this kind of computer assisted work is called \"epigenetic\" - its processes are analogous to biological epigenesis. This should not surprise us since biological analogues commonly crop up in relation to software as in the recent spread of software \"virus\".\r\n(cit.: artist's own statement accompanying the work, Jan 13, 1989, Minneapolis)","briefDescription":"Plotter drawing, 'Meditation', by Roman Verostko, 1989.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Reference to Roman Verostko's statement:\n\nhttp://web.archive.org/web/20230211164729/http://verostko.com/"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"Unique","id":"THES48864"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["E.1089-2008"],"accessionNumberNum":"1089","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":2008,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-21","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-08","availableToBook":false}}