Artist Statement

I write computer code that generates images. Specifically, I combine generative mathematical explorations with pseudo-random numbers generated by a computer. Pushing stochastic numbers through a rigid rule structure results in the final image. My practice draws inspiration from understanding the consequences of interconnected and simple rules, resulting in intricate and subtle visual compositions. Although created on a computer, typically, my finished artwork is printed on metal in various sizes.

The design phase of my process starts in my head or a sketch pad and is then translated into a generative process. Random numbers, generated by a computer, directly control many of the visual parameters for each of my pieces. By creating rules that a computer follows deterministically and combining them with randomness, I create chaotic yet orderly visual results. In the end, there is a delicate balance between having complete control of the composition and letting randomness overwhelm the visual. As an artist, I find endless inspiration through toying with this balance.

Biography

Jonathan Whitmore was born south of London, England and raised in Dallas, Texas. In 2018, Jonathan's artwork was awarded the WIRED25 Pick List Winner by WIRED magazine as one of thirteen artists selected from over 800 participating SF Open Studios artists. He had a solo show at The Mill, in San Francisco (2019), and has participated in several group shows at the following galleries: Arc Gallery, San Francisco; SOMArts, San Francisco; and Spark Arts, San Francisco. He is also an active participant in SF Open Studios where he has participated each year since 2016.

Whitmore attended Vanderbilt University where he triple majored in physics, mathematics, and philosophy (2005). After his undergraduate work, he attended graduate school at UC San Diego where he earned his astrophysics PhD (2011). His career as an academic continued with a three year postdoctoral position at Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia. His research led him to the world's largest optical telescopes at observatories at mountaintops in Hawaii and in the remote Atacama desert in Chile. During this time he starred in the IMAX film Hidden Universe.

After three years as an astrophysicist, he transitioned into the technology industry as a Data Scientist in Silicon Valley. Moving to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2014, Whitmore was awarded an Insight Data Science Fellowship where his final project was estimating the price of Abstract Expressionist artwork being sold at auctions. Currently, he is working as a Data Scientist at a large tech company.