The algorithm reads each pixel’s luminance and uses it to displace its neighbors, then repeats. The sharper the contrast in the source photo, the more the image breaks apart at that spot.
After enough iterations, horizontal bands appear and the original scene is no longer recognizable. The light and shadow of the photograph still decide where everything cracks. What comes out looks oddly organic, closer to rock strata or eroded terrain than to anything digital.
I made this during my years at art school, while I was exploring distortion techniques. The code is long lost, so what’s left is the output. I might rewrite it one day with what I know now.
