In Public Pen Plotting Revelations
So what do YOU actually do?
I get this question a lot when people watch my pen plotter videos. But hearing it while standing right next to my machine that hit different. This is why I built "Behind the Lines", to show people the human behind the machine. Turns out, I learned more than they did.
My usual process is pretty messy and interactive. But my videos only show the final act, the pen plotter executing the perfect result. The hours of coding, the failed attempts, the decision-making process? All hidden behind clean, hypnotic footage.
People watch these and assume the machine is the artist. I get comments like "AI is so creative now" or "This robot makes better art than humans." Which always bothered me, because I made every creative decision. The machine just executes.
So when I had the chance to do a live installation at Ô Marches du Palais in Lodève, I decided to flip the script. Literally. I'd plot on transparent glass so people could watch from behind. They'd see everything - the setup, the decisions, the process, even me struggling with technical issues.
No more highlight reel. Just the real thing.
The installation had accidentally become a mirror. People saw the transparent process and imagined themselves making those creative decisions. I thought I was demonstrating my relationship with the machine. Instead, I was revealing their potential relationship with creative technology.
This taught me to let go more. People weren't obsessing over the tiny details that kept me awake at night. They were excited by the broader possibilities. The messy, human process was more inspiring than the polished results.
Now when people ask "So what do YOU actually do?" I think about it differently. It's not about defending my role against the machine. It's about showing people what's possible when humans and machines collaborate.
