arttrmak

Arttrmak is a term used in contemporary art to describe a practice that fuses algorithmic generation with intentional manual intervention to produce tactile, material outcomes that are both procedural and crafted. It emphasizes the negotiation between computational process and human gesture, often resulting in works that reveal the steps of fabrication.

Origin and naming of the term are not fixed. The concept emerged in online art discourse in the early 2020s, with its usage centering on the interplay of automation and mark-making. It is deployed by artists and critics to discuss works that combine software-driven processes with hands-on fabrication, but there is no single canonical definition or origin story.

Techniques and formats associated with arttrmak span generative software, parametric design, 3D printing, laser etching, and hand-marked textures. Works often layer machine-generated imagery with physical materials, employing sensors or interactive elements to reveal, modify, or extend the generative process. The approach supports a spectrum from installation and sculpture to hybrid media projects.

Reception to arttrmak is varied. Proponents argue that it expands artistic authorship by foregrounding the collaboration between human intention and machine procedures, while critics warn of potential opacity in algorithmic workflows and questions about accessibility or reproducibility. Debates frequently address the balance between automation and craft, and whether the resulting works maintain a discernible human imprint.

See also: Generative art, algorithmic art, postdigital art.