Jer Thorp

Former Data Artist in Residence at The New York Times

PopTech: Jer Thorp on Data and Oil TEDxVancouver - The Weight of Data

Jer Thorp is the former data artist in residence at The New York Times. His software-based art has been featured all over the world. His art brings big data sets to life, combining state-of-the-art science with a natural interest in the human condition. His “Cascade” project at The New York Times visualizes the sharing of content through social media, offering tremendous insight into the way we use digital networks to share, influence, and connect with others. He was also a major contributor to the 9/11 memorial project in New York City, where he wrote a program that organized the names of victims not by alphabetical order, but by relationships—putting coworkers next to coworkers, and brothers next to brothers. Originally from Vancouver, he lives in New York City, where, along with his work at The New York Times, he teaches in NYU’s ITP program. To investigate the entailments of Big Data, Thorp helped launch The Office for Creative Research with his peers.

Thorp’s award-winning software-based work has been exhibited in Europe, Asia, North America, South America, including in the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan. Jer has over a decade of teaching experience, in Langara College’s Electronic Media Design Program, at the Vancouver Film school, and as an artist-in-residence at the Emily Carr University of Art and Design. Recently, he has presented at The Ford Foundation in New York City, at the National Academies, and he is a member of the world Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Design Innovation.