Tico Chen
4. Foliage
Foliage is an interactive creative coding experience that brings the unpredictable beauty of nature into the digital realm. This project is inspired by my grandfather and his friends. They all graduated from the Department of Literature at Peking University. They often gather in the park to write poetry about nature together, and excitedly discovering trees with unusual shapes. Their love for the subtle complexities of trees, flowers, and the untamed wilderness serves as the foundation for this innovative program.
In Foliage, each click of the mouse brings to life a unique tree, complete with randomly generated branches and blossoming flowers. The structure of each tree is entirely unpredictable, mirroring the spontaneous and diverse forms found in nature. Just as in nature, where no two trees are exactly alike, our digital trees offer a fresh aesthetic experience with every interaction.
This program does not just simulate the appearance of trees; it invites users to engage in an act of creation, where every tree grows differently, adorned with its own distinctive pattern of branches and blooms. As users interact with the program, they participate in a celebration of natural beauty and randomness, crafting digital landscapes that are as enchanting and varied as those captured by the lens of a camera.