Patterns in Deep Time

TL;DR

This paper investigates the use of textile pattern-making as a means to understand algorithmic patterns, highlighting historical connections and participant perceptions through a remote, multi-location workshop involving physical weaving activities.

Contribution

It introduces a novel workshop combining ancient textile techniques with algorithmic pattern exploration, emphasizing physical-algorithmic connections and participant interpretation.

Findings

Tablet weaving links physical and algorithmic patterns.

Errors reflect expectations versus surprise in pattern creation.

Sharing experiences influences pattern interpretation.

Abstract

In this paper, we explore how textile pattern-making can be a useful activity for live coders used to manipulating software. We ran an algorithmic patterns workshop in July 2022 -- with a node at "on the fly" festival in Barcelona, a node in Sheffield and the workshop leader in Penryn -- where we created an activity recreating ancient patterns by weaving on tablet looms that we constructed from card and yarn, and sent to the participants for this remote, multi location workshop. One of the aims of the Algorithmic Pattern project is to highlight the relationship people have had with patterns over history, and how we can use this to uncover certain misconceptions we have about algorithmic patterns in contemporary society. We collected responses from those who participated in the workshop and collated the responses. We found that tablet weaving allows us to connect the physical patterns with their algorithmic descriptions. Also, errors relate with the trade-off among expectations and surprise and exploring new unexpected possibilities. Finally, sharing the experiences among the participants allows us to observe how we interpret patterns when comparing it with other experiences.