The ability to see patterns, make sense of data, and also create beautiful works of art is a skill. Data visualizations have officially become common in every facet of our lives, even the art world.
Meet 6 artists who have found the beauty in numbers — using spreadsheets, datasets, and computers as their paint and canvas:
1) Golan Levin
Half performance artist, half software engineer, Golan Levin manipulates the computer to create improvised soundscapes with dazzling corresponding visuals. Levin uses modern tools — robotics, new software, cognitive research — to make artworks that surprise and delight. Watch as sounds become shapes, bodies create paintings, and a curious eye looks back at the curious viewer.
2) David McCandless
Data journalist David McCandless turns complex data sets into beautiful, simple visualizations that uncover previously unseen connections and patterns. His answer to information overload? Good design. McCandless is famous for his ability to turn complex data sets (like worldwide military spending, media buzz, Facebook status updates) into simple designs that convey patterns and tell stories.
3) Nathalie Miebach
Artist Nathalie Miebach takes weather data from massive storms and turns it into elaborate visualized sculptures made of wicker and colored beads. These sculptures, accurately based on weather temperatures, wind speeds, and water patterns, then become musical scores for a string quartet to play. She uses art and music to make data both tactile and audible.
Chutes and Ladders: http://nathaliemiebach.com/
4) Aaron Koblin
Aaron Koblin is an artist specializing in data and digital technologies. Koblin is best known for his innovative use of data visualization and his pioneering work in crowdsourcing and interactive film. He believes data can make us more human. He is famous for his project ‘Flight Patterns’ which visualizes every airline flight over North America in a 24-hour period.
5) Chris Jordan
Artist Chris Jordan’s work is about the behaviors we all engage in unconsciously, on a collective level. He makes large-format, long-zoom artwork from the most mind-blowing data about our daily lives. His book ‘Running the Numbers: An American Self-Portrait’ shares amazing digital photographs that paint a disturbing yet strangely seductive picture of American life today.
6) Oscar Sharp + Ross Goodwin
Filmmaker Oscar Sharp and technologist Ross Goodwin fed a machine learning algorithm with a bunch of Sci-Fi movie scripts to see what new script it would stitch together. The result? Sci-Fi short film ‘Sunspring’ starring Thomas Middleditch. This experimental film is hilarious and intense. Check it out below.
Data visualization is the first step in data art. Are you ready to successfully meld art and information? Design your own chart or infographic with Infogram today!
