Juxtapoz Magazine Feature : Joshua Davis

Artists are always manipulating their tools to modify their function and output, or introduce elements of randomness into their work. Freezing spraycans to lower the pressure, flicking the bristles of a paintbrush, jamming the tip of a pen to get a drip.

As a young painter, Joshua Davis used to rub toilet paper into his gesso and bake his paintings in the oven. Now he just changes a few lines of code.

Channeling his manic energy into a unique combination of illustration and generative art, he runs hand-drawn elements through coded algorithms to create abstract compositions. Any convenience he gains with this technique is more than erased as he then goes over each shape, color, angle, and line with a keen eye for flow and harmony, arranging each of the thousands of elements into just the right place.

I first saw Josh speak at an event in 2001. Prowling the stage with his hair dyed like a cheetah, he was one of the first to tap into the creative power of Flash Actionscript, and was always more than happy to show everyone how he did it.

Eight years later I am in suburban New York, walking through his meticulously landscaped backyard, re-creating his 20 second commute from brick patio to air conditioned man-shack. “I can’t say the traffic sucked,” he says as we walk past his daughter’s tiny bicycle.

Josh tells me he has cleared his 2010 calendar of all speaking engagements, because he “needs to vomit a little bit harder.” Someone get this man a bucket.

Read the rest in the January issue of Juxtapoz Magazine.

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