Sinusoïde 1981/1982, section sin1_81_1

Name: Ragnar Digital, LLC
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Pierre Braun

1981

Plotter Drawing

Violet ink on vellum; 21 × 29.7 cm; catalogue No. SIN1/81‑1.

Generative drawing made with a Hewlett Packard plotter, 1982
unique piece, ink on paper, 43 x 28 cm

Description

This drawing, from a group of works Pierre Braun called Sinusoides & Modules, captures the precision of a mathematical wave along with the distortions that can result from a plotter machine being pushed beyond its capacity.

Braun wrote a Basic Applesoft program that instructed a Hewlett Packard plotter to trace a sine function of increasing frequency. When the frequency surpassed the resolution of the plotter, it could no longer follow the curve as programmed. The pen produced overshoots and back-and-forth motions that left ghost traces across the paper.

One of Braun’s first experiments in transcoding mathematical functions into generative drawings, the work shows vertical bands of blue oscillations running across the page. The eye follows their steady rhythm and the disruptions caused by the plotter pen faltering. Together, these marks highlight the interplay of algorithm and machine, where both order and chance shape the artwork.