Bearded Man (generative series)

Name: Ragnar Digital, LLC
Price range: $

Charles "Chuck" Csuri

1969

Acrylic print on Plexiglas.
30"x24"
From an edition of 5

The Ragnar 100

Description

Bearded Man investigates the analytical capacities of the computer as an image-making tool. In making this work, Csuri examined how a drawing changes when it is treated as data—stripped of its depth, rotated, and reconfigured to be viewed from multiple angles. Through these transformations, a stable figure becomes fluid and virtual, revealing new spatial possibilities with each shift in perspective.

With Bearded Man (Generative Series), Csuri further explored how texture, dimension, and depth can be produced within the limitations of flat-surface plotter drawings. Starting from a line drawing, he used mathematical procedures to convert outlines into shaded images, then overlaid each line segment with repeated symbols. Using four basic shapes—rectangle, spiral, triangle, and star—he generated four distinct works. A random number generator controlled the density of these symbols, introducing variation and unpredictability into an otherwise structured system.

The resulting acrylic print on Plexiglas combine precision with visual movement. Through layered textures, varied colors, and shifting densities, Csuri demonstrates how computational processes could simulate light, shadow, and depth, expanding the expressive possibilities of early digital art.