Eric-Generative-Art

2009-02-24T06:40:00.000-08:00

I don't like blogging. I don't like putting my thoughts out there without being able to defend them. Without being able to have a conversation, my words have to just stand there and represent me on their own. And these words that I type are never enough to do that. Words on a page are not even close to being able to stand up and represent an idea, a concept. Then again, I don't know the best way to do that. Verbal forms of communication are not enough, and while blogs can be a 2-way communicative device, they are so much more 1-way than human interaction, and for concepts like this, that just isn't enough.

Generative - degenerating art

2009-02-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

We're talking about our art being self-organizing versus degenerating. It is ironic that the language we use gets us stuck going nowhere. Generative art implies that it keeps changing and building, but with something that continues changing, it degenerates over time. Everything crumbles and destroys itself, even while it may be 'improving' and becoming better. So we have the words Generative and Degeneration forced on each other. By denotation, this are antonyms. So why do they go hand and hand?
And if anything is generative and is always degenerating, then how much of what we actually do falls under that category?
Because humans will not bend to your will. Especially if you do not tell them what your will is. So when a system is based on human interaction, and it does not do what we want, there's no surprise. But when we are expecting a result, and trying our damnedest to get that result, we aren't actually letting the system go. We aren't letting the human interaction go where it wants to go -we are trying to put the project into a box. Which doesn't seem that it is generative, or degenerating. We are so trained to make art that goes on display in some form or another, and that has a specific time limit that it is supposed to exist in, and Should Not Change. So we keep trying to break free of that training, while at the same time trying to keep within our comfort zone, even subconsciously, and that pushes us farther away from our goal, if our goal is generative.
Or maybe we are trying too hard. Just let it happen how it wants to. But if we aren't trying hard enough, then we aren't creating art, right?

Seems like an endless loop we're stuck in. We can't create new art, because we are so focused on creating something new. And that intensity on creation puts us a little farther away from actually making something. Or maybe that's just my headspace.

2009-01-27T00:02:00.000-08:00

So I've realized what my issue is with the projects I've been working on. I think so mechanically, step-by-step, and in concept, it's a really interesting idea. However, in action, it is over almost immediately, and no one can see the individual steps that the machine took to complete the task. It seems like such a loss to not have all those steps noticed. This seems to be the same for most Rube Goldberg style projects - at least with those that have fast paced motions.

I feel like I lose a lot of the appeal of the project because of this. I bet ones like this, or the marble-windchimes, or ping pong balls, could be so much more interesting were they viewed in slow motion. Just a thought. I guess I'm so used to having to hide all the steps to produce a finished product, so it's difficult to show those steps.

2009-01-25T11:05:00.000-08:00

You become vividly aware of the fact that machines have wills of your own when you end up with a face full of spray adhesive.

Yum.

Mark-making machine

2009-01-21T19:58:00.000-08:00

First, I love the alliteration. I'm already enjoying this project more because it just sounds better. Regardless of the fact that this isn't the sound-producing machine. Thinking about this project, I knew that I wanted to work on modifying my original machine rather than passing it off to somebody else. Seeing the results of my sound machine disappointed me; there was not the gratification I had hoped for.
For this one, I intend on making it a bit more complicated, which also means it will have more of a chance of failing. Or, what we consider is 'failing'. It is always frustrating to have a project not do something I intend, because going into something, I always have a specific goal. It is very difficult for me to let go of this goal, and to just see what happens. I tried to do so in my first project, and felt very unfulfilled because of it.
I have already faced a lot of mechanical issues in his mark-making machine, but will hopefully be able to get them resolved over the weekend.