Media Arts and Technology Graduate Program UC Santa Barbara MAT 256 Visual Design through Algorithms Winter 2006 Artistic Experimentation Process

Media Arts and Technology Graduate Program UC Santa Barbara MAT 256 Visual Design through Algorithms Winter 2006 Artistic & Engineering Interaction Meaningful interaction  Where both artistic and engineering experimentation occurs  The engineering should not solve an artistic technical problem  The art should not illustrate the engineering principle  Translation, synthesis, metaphoric transposition, may be appropriate terms to describe the interaction

Media Arts and Technology Graduate Program UC Santa Barbara MAT 256 Visual Design through Algorithms Winter 2006 What is Artistic Experimentation?  CREATIVE IMPULSE: Art is the process or result of making material works which, from concept to creation, focus on the exploration of the creative impulse  NOT NECESSITY DRIVEN: art is distinguished from other works by being in large part unprompted  by externally defined necessity  by biological drive  or by any undisciplined pursuit of recreation

Media Arts and Technology Graduate Program UC Santa Barbara MAT 256 Visual Design through Algorithms Winter 2006 Purpose of Artistic Work  To communicate ideas that are better expressed through artistic methods  To generate strong emotions (either pleasureable, or painful)  To create a sense of beauty or pleasure  To explore the structure and syntax of language structures  To make visible hidden structures, forms, thoughts, and methods  Kant: Art is the “play of the imagination”  The purpose may also be seemingly nonexistent

Media Arts and Technology Graduate Program UC Santa Barbara MAT 256 Visual Design through Algorithms Winter 2006 Art as a Form of Cultural Expression  To explore philosophical propositions  To engage in political, religious discourse  To address issues “in the air”  (for instance, cinema which aims at a large audience, needs to tap into the collective anxiety, collective interest to draw audiences)  Expressions are many times metaphoric: Science fiction invasion during Cold War to represented Soviet Threat.

Media Arts and Technology Graduate Program UC Santa Barbara MAT 256 Visual Design through Algorithms Winter 2006 Criteria & Conditions of Art  Other then originality, (the continuous invention of new expressions)  There are no widely-agreed upon criteria for what is or what is not art  It is a discipline in continuous debate,  and artworks must argue their case to be considered as significant contributions to the field  Postmodernist position: the work is an empty sign, and the surrounding discourse defines its meaning

Media Arts and Technology Graduate Program UC Santa Barbara MAT 256 Visual Design through Algorithms Winter 2006 Sol Lewitt: Sentences on Conceptual Art Rational & Irrational  Rational judgements repeat rational judgements.  Irrational judgements lead to new experience.  Irrational thoughts should be followed absolutely and logically

Media Arts and Technology Graduate Program UC Santa Barbara MAT 256 Visual Design through Algorithms Winter 2006 Sol Lewitt Concepts & Ideas  Ideas can be works of art; they are in a chain of development that may eventually find some form. All ideas need not be made physical.  Ideas do not necessarily proceed in logical order. They may set one off in unexpected directions, but an idea must necessarily be completed in the mind before the next one is formed.

Media Arts and Technology Graduate Program UC Santa Barbara MAT 256 Visual Design through Algorithms Winter 2006 Sol Lewitt Material & Form  Since no form is intrinsically superior to another, the artist may use any form, from an expression of words (written or spoken) to physical reality.  All ideas are art if they are concerned with art and fall within the conventions of art  (or engage in interaction with the conventions)

Media Arts and Technology Graduate Program UC Santa Barbara MAT 256 Visual Design through Algorithms Winter 2006 Sol Lewitt Perception (understanding, interpretation)  Perception is subjective  The artist may not necessarily understand his own art. His perception is neither better nor worse than that of others  An artist may perceive the art of others better than his own  Successful art changes our understanding of the conventions by altering our perceptions

Media Arts and Technology Graduate Program UC Santa Barbara MAT 256 Visual Design through Algorithms Winter 2006 Sol Lewitt Execution  Once the idea of the piece is established in the artist's mind and the final form is decided, the process is carried out blindly  There are many side effects that the artist cannot imagine. These may be used as ideas for new works

Media Arts and Technology Graduate Program UC Santa Barbara MAT 256 Visual Design through Algorithms Winter 2006 References Sol Lewitt: Sentences on Conceptual Art oject.html ewitt.html Incomplete Open Cubes Matthew Fuller: