A harmonograph is a drawing machine that traces the combined motion of swinging pendulums, producing intricate curves known as Lissajous figures. Invented in the mid‑19th century, these devices were popular in Victorian parlors and scientific demonstrations, celebrated for revealing the hidden geometry of oscillation and decay.

Contemporary artists such as Karl Sims, Takahiro Kurashima, and James Nolan Gandy continue the tradition today, using mechanical, digital, and hybrid harmonographs to explore motion, symmetry, and the aesthetics of physics. This interactive version lets you experiment with the same principles — adjusting pendulum lengths, damping, frequency ratios, and rotary motion to create your own generative drawings.

Artists Working in Generative, Mechanical, and Algorithmic Drawing

• Karl Sims — Algorithmic motion, analog generative systems, and beautifully engineered harmonographs.
• Takahiro Kurashima — Creator of Poemotion, exploring kinetic minimalism and optical interaction.
• James Nolan Gandy — Mechanical drawing machines producing hypnotic, mathematically precise linework.
• Jonathan McCabe — Reaction–diffusion systems and biologically inspired generative pattern formation.
• Robert Howsare — Known for his Drawing Apparatus series using hacked turntables to generate geometric linework.
• Jared Tarbell — Early generative‑art pioneer whose algorithmic drawing experiments remain iconic.
• Andreas Gysin — Plotters, mechanical displays, and strict algorithmic constraints yielding crisp, minimal graphics.
• Niklas Roy — Playful kinetic devices and analog computational systems that visualize motion and randomness.
• LIA — Foundational figure in software‑based generative art, creating elegant rule‑driven drawing systems.
• Joanie Lemercier — Projection‑based geometric drawing that shifts between physical and digital space.
• Quayola — Computational reinterpretations of classical artworks and natural forms.