8.2.10
Creative Process
When I look at an artist, I see a "black box". Computer scientists talk about algorithms as black boxes when they can see the inputs to the box and can see the outputs from the box, but can not see anything that goes on inside the box -- they cannot see how the inputs are transformed to outputs. That is how I see you as an artist. When I ask about this, you might start talking about your experiences, or your feelings or the weather, etc. In my black box model, these are all considered inputs (yep, even the feelings). So, in my black box model, we have Inputs (sights, sounds, feelings, experiences, smells, weather, memories, etc.) and we have Output (some visual artifact), and we have some (hidden) Process that transforms Inputs -> Outputs. What I'm very interested in is that process -- what happens in the black box to transform those inputs to that output. Can you tell me what happens in the box?
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I am not sure if this is an answer to your question, but I thought I would try and give it a go.
ReplyDeleteTo describe what goes on inside our brains as artists (the inputs) that create our pieces (the outputs) is always hard to put into words. At first it can involve a feeling, a memory. Then for me those feelings and/or memories are dissected (systematically) into objects (i.e. shapes, lines, colors.) From there it involves experimentation with those elements of design (i.e. line, color, shape, value, texture.) These experimentations can be involved solely in the mind or in a sketchbook, a plate, etc. I am not sure if it will work out yet the fact that the possibility that something might drives my inputs and outputs. In the end hopefully something will have come about as successful piece and if it is really successful (in my artistic mind) it will have spurred more ideas for future projects.
Drugs. But not the man-made kind -- I'm referring to the natural high. A euphoric feeling that I myself also consider to be a "black box". If I am really into the process I get a drug-LIKE induced high, and it feels great - almost addictive. Some people call it a muse. It's definitely a feeling that can be directed onto someone (my wife as a Muse). Maybe what you need to create for DARCI is a MUSE:)
ReplyDeleteWhat happens in the black box...I wish I knew myself!
ReplyDeleteA few weeks ago we talked about the idea of "randomness" and you said you didn't think that any of our decision making processes were random. I've though a lot about this. At first I disagreed with you, but as you pointed out, this was likely because I didn't understand my decision making process and to me it felt random. (I sometimes wonder if a lot of the unexplainable things in life we write off as random phenomena, fate or something divorced from a consequence of our actions).
But I do think that there are conscious decisions made in the black box. For me much of what goes on inside is a gathering processes. Much like what Jared said, I find my muse, I record what interests me, I gather imagery and words that inspire me, I collage mentally with these parts and form concepts that in turn inform my work. (I feel like Amy's response may be more of what you're looking for, this is turning out to be more abstract than I intended).
Much of the work I'm doing now deals with ancestry and the unseen, but very real connection we have with these people. Much of my process as an artist deals with researching who they were, finding out their stories, reading diaries, conducting interviews, sorting through old photos etc. All of this happens in the box. How is this translated into artwork? I'm still working out what I want it to look like so I think a lot of the output comes as a trial and error. I have try to represent these people in a more portrait-like fashion (only I use chairs as stand-ins for people), but it hasn't gotten my concept across how I'd like. I'm still working out the bugs.
Inside the black box is frustrating. The way it happens for my isn't so much computational as much as it is hitting walls and taking another go at it.
I still wonder if all randomness really has to have 'more' behind it. My process is to be random (or so I like to assume.) In some instances I can interject more organization. Yet when I put a college together, for example,the idea that if I have is not constructed wil any type of order but simply to pick up one piece of paper without analyzing the shapes, lines, what will go together, etc, and lay it down and construct the entire pieces through this random selection. I approach I find to be pretty exciting and amusing. In addition, I have found that this approach, 99.9% of the time, brings the piece together fantastically (that idea centered around chaos theory with randomness creating order.) So I still am in question does everything really have an intense though process or motive behind what we call "random?" Or is it simply just the outcome (excitment, drug induced high) that makes it not random at all?
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