Claim your piece on the surface of an undiscovered entity. Conceived using a Pixel Stream Editor, ‘Abstract Noise’ can be anything you want it to be. A manifestation of the malleability of technology, and the places it goes when we add our imagination.

‘Abstract Noise’ was made using the same technique proposed by professor of computer science at NYU Ken Perlin 36 years ago, in a paper called "An image Synthesizer." In this seminal text for graphic design, Perlin described a technique known today as ‘Noise’ - in which an algorithm is used as a tool through which to accurately represent the complexity of organic consistency and natural phenomena (e.g., water, fire, marble). It introduced the concept of "solid texture" to CGI for the very first time, meaning that instead of plotting each pixel individually as though it were 2D in such a way to eventually form a 3D picture, it added information about “direction in space” to create dimension.

The description “direction in space” was purposely used over specifically defining 3D: “such looseness and ambiguity was a deliberate design decision in creating the language.” A tool made to offer more creative freedom should leave space for vagueness after all. By adding space in the algorithm for this ‘directional’ information, the technique broke ground in separating shape from texture in the process of graphic design.

In conjunction with dimension, Perlin also added the element of ‘noise,’ which meant the possibility of giving any object a texture. He created the basic formulas through which to add textures of glass, water, marble and bubbles, amongst others. The mathematical nature of the design tool meant that any interested mathematician/developer/graphic designer could take the (now considered) rudimentary software and build upon it. Characteristic elements of decentralisation and democratization embedded in the DNA of early computer science, and the airs surrounding the birth of the internet.

Abstract Noise is a series of 9 works released in 3 triptychs. In Abstract Noise #03 Sven Eberwein has taken these basic algorithms and run with them. Various shades of complementary hues reveal a technicolour landscape, perhaps the outlines of waves shimmering in a blazing fire, or the scaly textures of a butterfly’s wings captured up close.