Joshua Davis

Joshua Davis is an American technologist and artist who specialises in algorithmic image making. Davis is the creator of praystation.com, for which he won the Prix Ars Electronica 2001 Golden Nica in the category of ‘Net Vision / Net Excellence’. Additionally, Davis formulated the aesthetic design of visualisation of IBM’s Watson.

Born in 1971, Davis started his career as a traditional painter but soon found himself drawn to digital design. He combined his love for art with his growing interest in technology, becoming known for creating art using programming and algorithms.

In the early 2000s, Davis gained global recognition for his work with the design collective k10k and Dreamless.org, an online design community. These projects helped shape the early visual style of web design. Davis used a multimedia software platform called Flash to create creative and interactive website experiences. His work at the time was highly influential and inspired many other digital artists and designers.

Following his influential work in web design, Davis shifted his focus to a new realm of digital art. Drawing inspiration from American painter Jackson Pollock, he creates code to generate randomised but complicated visual compositions. His digital designs boast whimsical and psychedelic qualities that challenge the bounds of the human senses. His generative art has been featured in galleries and museums around the world, including prestigious institutions like the Tate Modern in London, the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York.

Beyond his art, Davis has taught classes on design and technology at the School of Visual Arts in New York. He has also written several books on digital design, providing guidance to those entering the field.

Davis is a sought-after speaker and has given talks at major events like TED, AIGA and Adobe MAX. His work continues to inspire a new generation of artists, making him a leading voice in both digital art and design today.