Mark Boccuzzi is a research scientist and artist who utilizes data and algorithms to create both beautiful and thought-provoking art. This fascinating process allows the creation of a medium known as Generative Art. He also employs generative art techniques to create 2D images, virtual reality, interactive experiences, 3D animations, soundscapes, musical scores, 3D printed sculptures, AI-generated poetry/spoken word, and to choreograph the movements and interactions of robots.
Mark, your Visualizing Intention: Art Informed by Science, project is fascinating. What inspired this work?
Thanks! This is really a convergence of several projects. I'm a research scientist by day, so I work with a lot of data. Over the years, I have been experimenting with different ways to explore those data beyond the typical statistical analysis methods. This has included various computer-based visualization techniques.
The devices I work with for research and creating these images are called Random Number Generators (or RNGs). These devices use quantum-level effects to produce truly random strings of numbers. Typically, during research studies, the output data from the RNGs are statistically analyzed. However, in my art projects, I use specialized software I created to transform those data into 3D images.
What is the process for collecting images? This project leverages the effects produced from a coherent consciousness field. The field is created when a meditator (or meditators) focuses on a specific idea or goal. An RNG collects data in the background. The generated RNG data are then used to create the image. The final image is called a PsiForm. Would you describe a typical session? The first step is to agree upon the focal point of the meditation. This can be a goal, an idea, a wish, or simply asking for guidance relating to a specific problem. Some sessions have included "Sending Unconditional Love," "Receiving Universal Healing," and "Protecting Gaia." Once we have a focal point, each meditator writes it out on a paper placed in front of them. A session timer is set for five minutes, and the meditation begins. At this point, I also start collecting data from an RNG and record it on a laptop. When the session ends, each meditator can take a few moments to write down any sensations, images, thoughts, feelings, or other experiences they may have had. I then process the RNG data through the visualization software using the workstation in my lab to produce the PsiForm for that session. The meditators are then provided with a copy of the rendered image as a keepsake of their experience.
What feedback have you received from participants who took part in this process?
This has been one of the most exciting parts of this project. Often, the meditators will report seeing some feature in the image that corresponds with their experience during the session. It has been fascinating to read their post-session notes and see how they are expressed in the images. Of course, the scientist in me has to acknowledge that all this is highly subjective. Still, I find this connection between the image and experience intriguing, and it is something I'm exploring further.
As a scientist, I can deploy artistic representations of these data to promote public engagement and, hopefully, inspire others to explore these topics further.
How does art impact science and vice versa? Speaking for myself, my research affords me access to a wide range of data. For example, I can be working with brain wave (EEG) data one day and reading personal accounts of transformative experiences the next. As an artist, I can draw from this palette to further explore the underlying themes and processes. As a scientist, I can deploy artistic representations of these data to promote public engagement and, hopefully, inspire others to explore these topics further.
Are you also a visual artist?
While I do produce visuals, my main focus is on Generative Art. That is, I use data and algorithms to create art. The fun bit is that once I have the data, I can develop software that allows me to present it across a wide range of media.
What other mediums have you worked in?
I mostly employ generative art techniques to create 2D images, virtual reality, interactive experiences, 3D animations, soundscapes, musical scores, 3D printed sculptures, AI-generated poetry/spoken word, and to choreograph the movements and interactions of robots.
All that being said, when I'm feeling a bit burned out by technology, I'll pull out some acrylic paints. My wife, Julie, got me a set for my birthday a few years ago, and I really love them. I work a lot with a palette knife, and I enjoy the physicality of the process.
Art also lets me push outside of the often rigid constraints of science, allowing me to explore ideas and technologies in unconventional ways.
How has art impacted your life? Learning new techniques and creating with different media really brings me a lot of joy. Art also lets me push outside of the often rigid constraints of science, allowing me to explore ideas and technologies in unconventional ways. I always feel grateful after having created something, even if I'm not 100% satisfied with that creation.
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To purchase Mark’s work please visit: https://fineartamerica.com/art/windbridge
For a free copy of the Visualizing Intention: Art Informed by Science book please visit: https://windbridge.org/books/VIBookBoccuzziREVIEWCOPY.pdf
For more information on the work of Mark Boccuzzi and his life and work partner, Julie Beischel, please visit https://windbridgeinstitute.com/team-2/