Recognizable Earthly Art ? Carlo H. Séquin EECS Computer Science Division University of California, Berkeley

The Question Which of the artworks produced by the human race might be recognizable as “ART” by some future visiting foreign intelligences ?

Is It Art ?

Sometimes “art” is indistinguishable from its surroundings

Is this “Art” -- Is this Special” ? u YES – if it was done by your own child !

Another “Special” Drawing u Medhia Mahmood, age 5, Gainesville, VA

Why are These Paintings “Special” ?

Is This “Special” ? u They were painted by an Elephant in Thailand

Is This “Special” ? u YES – painted by a robot

“Robotic Action Painter” u and its inventor / designer: Leonel Moura u

u Painting by “Robotic Action Painter”

Is This “Special” ? u YES – painted by someone famous u YES ! – done by Jackson Pollock

Is this also “Special” ? u Perhaps … – believed to be done by Pollock

Is This “Special” ? u NO – just a piece of a lab coat u Not really! – done by an on-line applet !

Pollock Generator u

Now also as an iPhone Applet

Importance of Background Information u Background Knowledge is often the only reason why something is considered to be – “art” – or valuable – or at least “special” But what if no such information is available ? Then the artwork / artifact has to speak for itself …

Little Background Available u True for our most ancient known art pieces

Cave Paintings 30’000 years old

Little Background Available u True for our most ancient known art pieces 25’000 years old Discovered 1908

Is This Something Special ? u Archeologists debate whether this modified stone was meant to represent a woman. u Was there a conscious mind at work to shape this stone into a tool ? 300’000 years old

SCIENCE VOL 323, Feb. 6, ’000 years old

Our Question -- Again Which of the artworks produced by the human race might be recognizable as “ART” to some future visiting foreign intelligences ? By looking back we can gain some insights of what it might be like for future intelligences to puzzle over artifacts left by today’s civilization. First of all, our “art” must be able to survive!

Whirled White Web Breckenridge 2003

12:40 pm -- 42° F

12:41 pm -- 42° F

100’000 Year Doomsday Scenarios u Some virus wipes out almost all of mankind ( as in George R. Stewart’s “Earth abides”). Civilization, as we know it, disappears. u Giant volcanic eruption covers everything with many meters of ash. u Some man-made stupidity destroys our habitat.

Some Things That Will NOT Survive: u Magnetic Tapes u CDs and DVDs u Books and Journals u Unprotected Paintings Today’s New-Media Art & Installations

More Stuff that Will Not Survive:

100’000 Years in the Future u Only inorganic materials survive u All museums have caved in u Most written / printed information is lost u Tapes, CDs, DVD’s are all unreadable u No background information available ! What objects can speak for themselves ?

Among the Artifacts that Do Survive, What Makes an Object “Special”? u It must stand out from its surroundings

Something that Stands Out u Big stone structures in a flat landscape

Nothing Special... u Just some dirty sidewalk with typical 20th century junk

A Precious Instrument … …with a sensible cover (Joseph Beuys: Center Piece)

Among the Artifacts that Do Survive, What Makes an Object “Special”? u It must stand out from its surroundings u Should not look “accidental”

“Unfinished Construction Site” u Another installation by Joseph Beuys

A Manufacturing Mishap ?

Why could the walls not be made straight ? Richard Serra

Richard Serra: Torqued Ellipses

Among the Artifacts that Do Survive, What Makes an Object “Special”? u It must stand out from its surroundings u Should not look “accidental” u Should exhibit a plan, conscious thought

Clearly a Special Design u Nazca Lines in Peru

Art or Wallpaper ? Drawings by Sol LeWitt

Among the Artifacts that Do Survive, What Makes an Object “Special”? u It must stand out from its surroundings u Should not look “accidental” u Should exhibits planning, conscious thought u Appears to require some special skills

How Did They Build This ? Only a few thousand years ago, and we already have trouble figuring out how it was done

Anybody could do this … Richard Serrra: Lead Piece, 1968

How Did They Build This ?

Among the Artifacts that Do Survive, What Makes an Object “Special”? u It must stand out from its surroundings u Should not look “accidental” u Should exhibits planning, conscious thought u Appears to require some special skills u Other...

Missing Background Information... will lead to misinterpretations !

Discovered in NYC Celebration of... ?

And what might this be ? Celebrating the end of the war with the Indians ?

??? u Some special Antenna from the Electronic Century ?

Another Mysterious Object u Propeller for motor boat ? u Grinder head ? u Galactic force concentrator ?

Hyperbolic Hexagon II, Bronze u Installed Feb. 27, 2009 CITRIS headquarter reception area, U.C. Berkeley. A collaboration between: u Brent Collins (sculptor), u Steve Reinmuth (craftsman), u Carlo Séquin (computer scientist).

Brent Collins: Hyperbolic Hexagon II

Brent Collins: Stacked Saddles

Scherk’s 2 nd Minimal Surface Normal “biped” saddles Generalization to higher-order saddles (monkey saddle) “Scherk Tower”

Hyperbolic Hexagon by B. Collins u 6 saddles in a ring u 6 holes passing through symmetry plane at ±45º u = “wound up” 6-story Scherk tower u Discussion: What if … l we added more stories ? l or introduced a twist before closing the ring ?

Closing the Loop straight or twisted “Scherk Tower”“Scherk-Collins Toroids”

Brent Collins’ Prototyping Process Armature for the Hyperbolic Heptagon Mockup for the Saddle Trefoil Time-consuming ! (1-3 weeks)

Sculpture Generator 1, GUI

V-art Virtual Glass Scherk Tower with Monkey Saddles (Radiance 40 hours) Jane Yen

Collins’ Fabrication Process Example: Vox Solis Layered laminated main shape Wood master pattern for sculpture

Slices through Minimal Trefoil 50%10%23%30% 45%5%20%27% 35%2%15%25%

u One thick slice thru sculpture, from which Brent can cut boards and assemble a rough shape. u Traces represent: top and bottom, as well as cuts at 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 of one board. Profiled Slice through Heptoroid

Emergence of the Heptoroid (1) Assembly of the precut boards

Emergence of the Heptoroid (2) Forming a continuous smooth edge

Emergence of the Heptoroid (3) Smoothing the whole surface

The Finished Heptoroid u at Fermi Lab Art Gallery (1998).

Construction Photos from Steve Reinmuth Bronze Studio Eugene, Oregon

The Master Mold for Hyperbolic Hexagon II

A Clean Wax Copy

Adding Sprues and Runners

First Sprues and Runners Added

Details of Sprues and Runners

Into the Kiln – Burning out the Wax

Bronze Pour

Polish and Patina

Hyperbolic Hexagon II at CITRIS, 2/27/09

Will this survive ? Will it be recognizable as something special ? u Yes... if it is not turned into bullets for some future war! or will be used as a source of copper … Helaman Ferguson: Work in stone !

Helaman Ferguson: Two Canoes

Keizo Ushio: Oushi Zokei, Ono City 2004

Q U E S T I O N S ?

Helaman Ferguson: Two Canoes u Original model by Helaman Ferguson, 1995

Helaman Ferguson: Two Canoes u How it was assembled

ISAMA, San Sebastian 1999 Keizo Ushio and his “OUSHI ZOKEI”

Schematic Model of 2-Link Torus 2 knife blades rotate through 360 degrees as they sweep once around the torus ring 360°