Old Code, New Paths | April 9, 2025
This Week's Highlight
This week’s tutorial is inspired by generative artist Julien Gachadoat’s project, where Julien translated algorithmic drawings from Jean-Paul Delahaye’s 1985 books Dessins Géométriques et Artistiques avec votre micro-ordinateur into p5.js sketches.
The books used BASIC code to create geometric art on early home computers. While Julien’s version stays true to that structure, I experimented with the original code through my own lens. It’s a beautiful reminder of how timeless these foundational ideas can be, and how much creative potential still lives in old code.
What Inspires Me
I mentioned Kim Asendorf in my last newsletter, but this week I took a deeper dive into his interview with River Davis. His story of creating across Web2 and Web3, disappearing from the art world, and finding his way back through code and community is deeply inspiring.
What stuck with me most is how he sees his work as personal expression, less about delivering a message and more about staying connected to himself through form. His approach to code as both craft and language really resonates with how I think about creative coding too.
It’s a reminder that old platforms fade, tools change, but the urge to make—and the joy in making—always find a way back.
The Joy of Walking (and Sweating) in Bangkok
Bangkok isn't exactly made for walking. It's hot. The sidewalks are uneven (if they exist), and the air clings to your skin with thick humidity. But lately, I’ve been walking more, out of curiosity, out of restlessness, out of a desire to feel the city.
And honestly? I’ve come to love the sweat.
There’s a kind of joy in moving through the city at your own pace, letting yourself be in it. You notice things you'd never catch in a car or train: handwritten signs, hidden altars, a cat stretched out in the shade of a parked truck. A breeze between buildings feels like a blessing.
By the time I get home, I’m usually drenched and a little tired, but there’s something satisfying in that too. Not just because I walked, but because I saw.
Until next week!
Patt