An exhibition marking the 150th anniversary, on November 24, of the publication of Charles Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species," is comprised of three related sections. In "A Habit of Deciding Influence" are 18 photographs of Darwin’s pigeon specimens at the Natural History of London/Tring. Darwin took up the study of domesticated pigeons in 1855 and his observations of artificial selection in pigeon breeding was invaluable to his understanding of the way species change in natural environments. 2)"Coop" is a mixed-media installation based on Darwin’s five-sided pigeon coop. 3)"Frameworks of Absence: The Extinct Birds of John James Audubon” includes 10 altered prints from “Birds of America.”

The artwork in this exhibition represents collaboration between students and faculty in the art and computer science departments through the Emergent Patterns project, exploring the complex patterns and processes that can emerge in visual structures. They worked with software programs to produce different forms of recurring, natural patterns. These organic structures and patterns were then combined in layers of transparent surfaces. The multiple-layered works allow the viewer to see the evolutionary track back through the surface to the less complex visual systems from which the final image emerges.

Headed by Ed Kerns, Eugene H. Clapp II Professor of Art, and Chun Wai Liew, associate professor, head of computer science. Student participants included Rhodes Baker '10, computer science; Imogen Cain '12, art; Long Ho '10, mathematics and computer science; Khine Lin '11, pursing a B.S. in electrical and computer engineering and an A.B. in mathematics; and Scott Lyttle '10, art.