Out of Workplace is a new GeekWire series spotlighting the passions and hobbies that members of the Seattle-area tech group pursue exterior of labor.
- Identify: Maksim Surguy.
- Day job: Senior design technologist for Amazon Gadgets, engaged on ideas for brand new gadgets or new options on current gadgets, resembling Fireplace TV, Alexa, and Echo sensible audio system.
- Out-of-office ardour: Utilizing machines to create artwork.
Earlier than he pursued a bachelor’s diploma in pc science, Maksim Surguy made an preliminary — and transient — run at a bachelor’s in artwork.
“Two weeks later, I spotted that I suck at artwork and I switched to pc science,” he laughed.
Fourteen years after finishing his training at California State College, Fullerton, Surguy has discovered happiness and success in marrying the 2 disciplines, as a technologist and an artist in Seattle.
“My sketching is to not the extent that I need, so as a substitute I take advantage of code to create art work,” he mentioned in describing the “robotic artwork” that occupies his free time.
Surguy not solely depends on machines to generate his art work, he creates and sells the software program instruments that facilitate such artwork, whether or not the completed items exist as digital NFTs or as bodily works resembling pen plotter drawings made through scalable vector graphics.
“I spend much more time making the instruments than really utilizing them,” Surguy mentioned. “However different folks use them to really make one thing. So I get pleasure from each side of this.”
Surguy is a 2018 graduate of the College of Washington’s Master of Science in Technology Innovation (MSTI), a program on the UW’s Global Innovation Exchange (GIX) — a joint initiative of the School of Engineering and Foster Faculty of Enterprise.
For a {hardware}/software program mission, he created a 3D-printed drawing machine together with his personal electronics program. In the course of the course of, he couldn’t discover a group for like-minded individuals who make such issues. So he began DrawingBots, a web site/Discord that’s attracted 1000’s of artists and engineers.
Surguy was born and raised in Ukraine and was an accomplished breakdancer who competed as an expert in Jap Europe when he was youthful. He moved to the U.S. in 2004.
He’s been at Amazon for six years and his art work has been displayed within the firm’s headquarters buildings, in public exhibitions — together with at Seattle’s NFT Museum, and on his website and social media channels. He’s additionally written extensively about know-how.
And within the blurring area between human and AI-created art work, he’s leaning additional into know-how.
“I take advantage of AI for lots of issues, and particularly now with code, it makes it simpler to create instruments which might be customized and particular for no matter use case,” Surguy mentioned. “I simply open-sourced one final weekend. It’s a software that enables artists to preview their art work, the way it’s going to look earlier than they make it on paper. So it saves them money and time and artwork provides.”
Most rewarding facet of this pursuit: Surguy most enjoys the rising group he helped foster across the instruments and artwork he makes.
“I bought to know 1000’s of folks that do this sort of stuff and are very attention-grabbing folks,” he mentioned. “A few of them have been TED audio system. A few of them are PhDs, very well-known researchers, scientists, artists. I had conversations with all of those folks and take into account a few of them my mates. In order that’s probably the most rewarding half.”
The teachings he brings again to work: “This sort of procedural and algorithmic artwork positively has a spot in making merchandise which might be digital experiences,” Surguy mentioned of the connection between his interest and his work at Amazon.
For instance, his Gadgets crew launched a dynamic artwork characteristic for Fireplace TV: a display screen saver that created art work on the fly based mostly on knowledge resembling climate, time of day, and different inputs.
Surguy mentioned the concepts he generates exterior of labor function inspiration for what he creates at work, whether or not it’s inventive coding or just increasing the boundaries of what he makes and the way he makes it.
Read more Out of Office profiles.
Do you might have an out-of-office interest or attention-grabbing facet hustle that you just’re captivated with that will make for a enjoyable profile on GeekWire? Drop us a line: tips@geekwire.com.
