Generative Art is art, without the artist. With more traditional artforms; sculpture, painting or film for example; an Artist uses tools to fashion materials into a finished work. With Generative Art an automated system does all the production work, the “Artist” only provides the instructions to the system and the initial conditions, then sets it off.

The tools of Generative Art are algorithms. Algorithms are a part of the natural world, they have a universality that transcends medium. While the systems capable of creating Generative Art change over time, evolving as technology evolves, the algorithms remain the same.

As an analogy, Generative Art might be best equated to farming. The Artist doesn’t construct a work, they simply plant the seeds. The final work may be different every time the system is run, so it is possible for the Artist to be as surprised by the outcome as anyone else.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generative_art