Jonathan McCabe is a generative visual artist who lives in Canberra Australia with his partner Kate and son Redmond. He is interested in theories of spontaneous pattern formation in the natural world and their application to art and design. He writes old-fashioned computer programs that output images, looks at the results, becomes dissatisfied, then tinkers with the programs and runs them again, over a period of decades.

He studied at the Australian Centre for the Arts and Technology and obtained a Master of Electronic Arts in 2000. His work has been featured in Wired, New Scientist, Scientific American and Smithsonian magazines. He has worked for Aesop, Cirque du Soleil, Expo 2020, Imagine Dragons, and others. He has exhibited at Kate Vass Galerie, Zurich. He collaborated with Oleg Pashkovsky and Knot (Portland, Oregon) on a large-scale interactive work “Morphogenesis” installed at the Bass Biology Building at Stanford University in 2019.


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Kinokawacortex Series Three Number Two

Kinokawacortex_Series_Three_Number_Two_Jonathan_McCabe_Generative_art.mp4

This work is the result of a multi-scale anisotropic reaction-diffusion system inspired by Alan Turing’s theory of morphogenesis. Each pixel changes colour depending on the values of the other pixels, leading to a self-organising but unstable pattern that is reminiscent of tree bark or a weathered, cracked and corroded surface.

technique

generative art

format

landscape

duration

04:00

year

2026

Transport

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More on digital art

Generative art
Generative art refers to a way of creating artworks using an autonomous system. In digital art, these are usually generated from code and algorithms created by the artist, often with certain predefined parameters or systems. Although these parameters guide the final outcome of the work, generative art is generally a surprising way to create artworks, as the results are often unexpected and the number of possible outcomes can be infinite.
AI
AI art is a branch of generative art that uses artificial intelligence. Unlike other generative artworks, AI artworks use specific complex algorithms and models derived from machine learning. The most common methods for creating AI art today are GANs (generative adversarial networks) or proprietary prompting platforms such as ChatGPT, Sora, Midjourney, or Dall-e.
3D
3D art uses 3D software such as Blender, Cinema4D, Houdini, or video game software such as Unity to create works of art. In 3D works, artists can either arrange assets (the 'objects' in a 3D artwork or world) that they have created themselves or purchased from other creators to create elaborate environments and scenes (an approach to 3D art called 'set dressing'), or specialize in sculpting, which involves creating their own objects and assets.
Photogrammetry
Photogrammetry is a specialized 3D technique that allows 3D objects to be created from numerous photographs taken of an object or scene from multiple angles. These photos are then compiled to determine the specific positioning, shape, and dimensions of the object in space, and then converted into a 3D model. Initially developed for engineering and urban planning, photogrammetry has become a way for artists to produce extremely accurate 3D models from real-life images.
Collage
An extension of the traditional, plastic approach to collage, digital collage involves searching for and cutting out multiple images, extracting them from their original context, and recomposing them in a new arrangement to create a work of art. Artists can use their own photographs or find images on the internet.
Illustration
Digital illustrations are created using software such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, or Procreate. As with drawing on paper, the artist uses a stylus to sketch a figure or object, usually on a tablet, to construct a scene or artistic universe. Unlike traditional drawing methods, digital illustration is much more forgiving, as mistakes can be easily corrected and drawn elements and objects can be easily moved around within a scene.
Video
Video artworks primarily use a recording camera, but may sometimes include additional post-processing or editing to distort, modify or add additional elements to the image. Some artists use state-of-the-art recording equipment to create macro zoom-ins or time lapses, privileging fidelity to the subject matter. Others use additional softwares to significantly modify or warp the video, creating an alternative perspective on the world that surrounds us.

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