Twist

Name: Ragnar Digital, LLC
Price range: $

William Kolomyjec

1976

Plotter Drawing

12.5" x 19"

Description

Twist is a computer-generated drawing built from the relationship between a square and a circle.

Twist was programmed in Fortran, with the coordinates of the square and circle stored in arrays. Linear interpolation between the two sets of points generated the twisting forms. The drawing was plotted in ink on a Calcomp machine. The sprocket holes along the margins show the feed system that kept the paper steady, serving as a reminder of a time when plotters were the primary way to make computer graphics visible.

Sets of lines bend at right angles and spiral tightly at their ends to create the appearance of rectangles, squares, and circles. The plotter’s precision makes each shape identical, achieving an effect that could not be done by hand. The repetition gives the drawing a sense of rhythm and movement where none exists, an optical illusion produced through precision and uniformity.