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THE ALGORITHM SERIES

 

The Algorithm series arose from a melding of ancient and modern. I was reading a novel based on ancient Greek mythology, in which the characters regularly made ritual sacrifices to various gods, hoping to earn the gods’ favor and thereby ensure good outcomes for their efforts. Of course, as a 21st century atheist, I thought this was ridiculous. As I was reading the novel, I was consulting with peers and experts about how to get my art in front of a larger audience on the internet. Specifically, I had sessions with two arts business coaches who gave me diametrically opposed advice about how to get my work seen.


One day, after lamenting to a fellow artist about how hard it is to know which strategies actually work, I was struck by the sudden realization that we, modern creators, are doing the exact same thing as the ancient Greeks. We are exchanging folk wisdom about how to placate the gods – or in this case, the social media algorithms. None of us really knows what works, the algorithm gods are capricious, and we tend to blame ourselves for bad outcomes (I guess I didn’t do the ritual right).


So The Algorithm series was born. I took some old watercolors (and made some new ones after I ran out), imagined myself as the voice of The Algorithm, and handed down some not-terribly-comforting words of “wisdom,” which I printed on top of the paintings in a highly authoritative font using a pigment-based inkjet printer. Each one is unique. As is my usual practice, I sell them on Etsy, in standard-size acid-free mats, for very reasonable prices. I really hope The Algorithm likes them : )

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Click here to purchase Algorithm Paintings 

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