1 Introduction

This book is about computer art and its relations to art of a more traditional kind. Specifically, the book focuses on generative art, in its various forms, but particularly on art for which the artists use programming, computer code, as a significant element of their work. We also deal with the context of such art, so some chapters consider much of what is often called digital art, but the focus remains on the generative. Much has been written about digital art in general, and we do not repeat what is easily read elsewhere except when understanding the context requires it. At the core of computing is software—computer programming and code. Perhaps rather strangely, the role of code in computer art has received relatively little attention; hence it is our primary focus. We aim to highlight important continuities as well as the many exciting differences.