I'm Polly, a biotech analyst with a background in informatics. (To learn more about me, check out my website at pollygabrieli.com!) In my bioinformatics research, I use machine learning algorithms to study the genes that help cancer evade the immune system. Over the past year, I've embarked on a journey to learn about how these same methods can be used to create incredible works of art of all genres. I created this website to share some of my favorite pieces that I've created along the way - I make new pieces every week, so the selection displayed here likely will evolve over the months.

To create these pieces, I use a combination of different algorithms and pipelines, as well as various digital art tools like Illustrator and Procreate. Typically, my process starts with an initial image created in Illustrator or Procreate, along with text describing the desired style and content of the image. Using different generative art models, I create batches of variations on these inputs, modifying the algorithmic parameters to finetune the output. Often, many cycles of iteration are required to generate an image that matches my goals. Once the output looks right, I process the image using Python pipelines and Adobe Lightroom to denoise and simplify. Finally, I edit the images in Procreate to create a cohesive piece of art. Thus, the images aren't entirely created by the models, but they aren't entirely created by me either. Instead, they represent a fusion of my vision and editing with the patterns learned from millions of pieces of art generated across human history.

If you're interested in getting started with generative art, one of the most powerful tools out there is the Disco Diffusion Colab notebook - and it's free for anyone to access! Using this notebook doesn't require any coding background. On the other hand, if you have background working with Python and neural networks, you can start modifying the notebook to create tailor-made tools of your own! And if you want to learn more about how I created the pieces in this portfolio, or just chat about generative art (or bioinformatics), feel free to shoot me an email at pauline.bc.gabrieli@gmail.com.