Algorithmic Photography
Alex May
Summary
In this Computer Arts Society talk, artist Alex May introduces algorithmic photography as a contemporary extension of chronophotography. He begins with Eadweard Muybridge’s 1878 motion studies of a galloping horse and the parallel chronophotographic gun of Étienne-Jules Marey, observing that technology has long been used to extend human perception beyond its natural limits. May presents it as both an aesthetic exploration and a potential research tool, echoing Muybridge’s utilitarian origins while insisting on the human-scale, sensory value of extended vision. He explains that, unlike conventional long-exposure photography, his algorithmic process lets him decide per pixel which elements from thousands of video frames are retained or discarded, producing images such as seagulls hovering over Brighton Pier or hornets infesting a Maltese beehive. He traces his artistic lineage through stop-motion animation, experimental film, and early home computing, citing influences from Willis O’Brien and Ray Harryhausen to Maya Deren, Andrei Tarkovsky, David Lynch, and Godfrey Reggio’s Koyaanisqatsi, as well as the Sinclair ZX81 and Commodore Amiga that redirected him toward programming. He connects this practice to his current fellowship at the University of Surrey, where he responds to quantum biology, arguing that technology reveals hidden workings of existence while also expanding embodied experience.
This AI summary was generated by kimi-k2.7-code (13th August 2026).