My work is inspired by math genius Alan Turing’s algorithms that simulate organic graphic patterns in nature. These Turing Patterns I create on my own computer, using photos or digitally generated pictures as seed images. Finally, I combine them with hand painting or drawing on paper, and use them to create cutout paper and wood shapes for collage.
Turing Patterns are simulations of the natural biological world, and as such embody graphic qualities I consider to be inherent in living things: complex, messy yet endlessly interwoven, constantly surprising, sometimes even spooky. It’s my job as an artist to select from these patterns the elements that I hope will amaze, inspire, provoke, and nudge the viewer into appreciating their inherent mysterious pull as I reassemble them into art of my own making. I truly love to guide the patterns from their digital origins into concrete art on paper.
Artist Statement
Mr. Webster’s work with Turing Patterns is the culmination of many years spent drawing, painting, and cartooning. After graduating from college, he left California to explore life as an artist in Santa Fe. Driven by restless curiosity, fueled by New Mexico’s fascinating landscapes and culture, he dove into the psychic machinery of his own dreams as well as elemental forms of nature.
He eventually moved to Albuquerque, where he studied math, science, and computer programming. From the time he bought and learned to program his first personal computer in 1980, he has also figured out ways to create digital imagery. He sees Turing Patterns as a wonderful way to merge digital and hand-crafted art.
Writing poetry, making yearly calendars featuring his own cartoons, and inventing games (of both the board and computer variety) have been additional passions. He lives in Berkeley, California, where he loves to walk the hills with his wife Denise Hingle. They have no pets other than those in their imaginations.
CV
Published drawings as staff member of The Chaparral, Stanford University, 1971-1972
Graduated with English B.A., Stanford University, 1973
Participated in Richard DeMarco Summer Arts workshop in Edinburgh, Scotland, 1973
Studied drawing and painting with Geraldine Price in Santa Fe, NM, 1976–1977
Three drawings selected for the annual juried Armory Show in Santa Fe, NM: “Amazon Woman with Frisbee,” “It’s More Fun to Compete”, and “Seafood Night at the Ice Hotel”.
Studied computer graphics programming at Foothills College, 1984–1986
Published shareware and an animation program for the Amiga Computer, 1985
Showed “Horsehead Gulch”, Amiga computer graphic, at Amsterdam Art show, 1986
Certificate, UC Extension Publishing Program, 1992–1993
HTML Programmer, Computer Currents, 1995–1996
Editor for Regent Press, Berkeley, 1994–1995
Editor for UC Berkeley Extension and Agricultural and Resource Economics, 1997-2005
Displayed three works based on Turing Patterns at the Cedar Street Gallery in Berkeley: “Turing Fairy Weeds on Betty Olds Path,” “Turing’s Wand”, and “Crows on Wires with Turing Sky”, 2022