The Art of Creating Code-Based Artworks

Abstract

Programming has become an artistic medium for artists; it provides expression possibilities built on top of the computer's interactivity and multimedia features. However, implementing code-based artworks encloses defining characteristics that differ from traditional programming. This paper reports on an in-depth interview with 5 code artists with diverse backgrounds, levels of experience, and working on different code-based artistic expressions. Through their experience, we identified characteristics and commonalities in their development process, the tools they use, their sources of inspiration, and their expectations. Accordingly, we reflect on the particularities of Creative Coding, indicate commonalities with other domains, and suggest opportunities and challenges for HCI researchers and practitioners in proposing tools to support it better.