Drawing with Code

Learning to code has led me to a new body of work.

I made my earlier work by stitching glass beads together with thread to create pictorial textiles. The repetitive stitching helps me to internalize and memorialize the experiences, even the scenery in my dreams.

In 2014, I introduced something new. I started to code websites. It was a steep learning curve for a visual thinker like me, and I keep adding to my knowledge base.

The best way to demonstrate the change from visual to more analytical and logical thinking is through a HTML code. I used the code words that define the styles (colors, shapes and sizes) of the areas on a web page.

Using words in the code I divided the screen into separate areas and gave them different background colors. When I tested the code, the shapes moved in relation to each other. In this drawing I have labeled each rectangle with the code that defines its proportions and placement:

I was delighted to notice that the compositions appearing on my screen bore a resemblance to the Mid-20^th Century abstract and color field paintings of Ellsworth Kelly, Josef Albers and Mark Rothko. I created works on paper in pencil and gouache, and I reproduced the images in beads. This helped me to commit the code to memory.

I pursued code as a medium of visual expression, and have continued to draw abstract works.

Code is the poetry of logic. One of the rules of programming is, “Don’t repeat yourself.” The repetition in writing the code by hand, and making textiles, or works on paper, helps me learn. And it’s fun.

I look forward to meeting you at Open Studios.

Jessica Kincaid

 

About Jessica Kincaid

Visual Artist with a passion for detailed craft and Web Development.

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