Framed Sheep
The Art
Like much of our work to date Framed Sheep toys with the question of what is art? Is a painting a static piece that presents the same image to everyone who views it? Or can it change form day to day or moment to moment? Is art something that an artists purposely creates or can it be accidental or even beyond the artists control? These questions are not new to art but this piece humbly attempts to address them in a new way.
The Software
Framed Sheep is a computer screen wrapped in a traditional frame displaying an image which not only rapidly changes as you watch it but literally evolves over time. New never before seen "sheep" appear every day. The software behind this is known as Electric Sheep. Electric Sheep is a free and Open-Source software originally created by Scott Draves aka. Spot.
The Algorithm
You can download and run this software on your computer at home. By doing so you become part of a network of computers which continually generate and share new sheep. The software is based on genetic algorithms which represent the images you see as strings of digital DNA. This DNA combines and mutates with other DNA to create new sheep. You can also vote for sheep giving them either an "Up Sheep" or a "Down Sheep" which will affect future generations of sheep. The traits which exist in the most popular sheep are more likely to show up in future generations. The traits of unpopular sheep are suppressed.
The Name
The name "Electric Sheep" comes from a book by Science Fiction writer Phillip K. Dick titled Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. This book was the inspiration behind Ridley Scott's 1982 film Bladerunner. A must see film for all Sci-Fi fans!