Jared Tarbell

Co-Founder, Etsy

Search every verified Jared Tarbell interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Jared Tarbell, co-founder of Etsy and a generative artist, discussed his artistic practice and career in two recorded talks. In a December 2024 artist talk at ARTSLab in Albuquerque, New Mexico, he described his long-term engagement with computational art, noting that he began programming at age 14 after his father brought home a computer from Sandia Labs. He spoke about returning to fundamental creative work later in life, saying he enjoys the work itself more than publishing or discussing it, and that Etsy's success has allowed him to pursue this without commercial constraints. He also reflected on using computation as a framework for understanding broader questions about purpose and truth. In a 2018 talk at Beyond Tellerrand in Düsseldorf, Tarbell presented examples of generative algorithms, including recursive tree structures, particle systems, and orbital simulations, explaining how simple rules can produce complex natural-looking phenomena. He described his early practice of posting source code alongside his artwork to encourage others to learn from it, and recounted working on online bill payment software for a gas company in 2002 while pursuing generative art in his free time.