Karl Sims is widely reguarded as one of the pioneers in the field of genetic graphics, and evolving simulated creatures http://www.genarts.com/karl/ and influenced the digital biology project http://www.biota.org
Kenneth Rinaldo has created (set in motion) some excellent examples of emergence, lifelike chittering in what he refers to as the “confluence and coevolution of organic and technological cultures” http://www.ylem.org/artists/krinaldo/index.html
Mitchell Whitelaw completed a PhD thesis entitled “artificial life in new media art.” a study of artists working in (so-called) new media who are using techniques and concepts from the field of artificial life. This has been subsequently developed in to 'Metacreation' published by MIT press