Casey Reas’ Eyeo talk on chance operations:
After watching Casey Reas’s assessment of randomness in art, I’m convinced of its valuable role, especially in the STEM field, where it allows researchers to predict and analyze randomness in their subjects. His explanation reminded me of a study where Japanese researchers used algae to optimize their rail transport system. The algae grew in random, unpredictable ways, yet always found the most efficient pathway to form a network based on the pattern or map of the space in which it was cultured. (In 2010, a team of researchers from Japan and the U.K. fed a slime mold with nutrients arranged to imitate the nodes of the Tokyo subway system. The resulting network closely resembled the actual subway network, leading to the development of biologically inspired adaptive network design.) This study highlights the potential of introducing randomness to the template designs of objects, something Casey Reas often emphasizes in his work.
When it comes to incorporating randomness in my own projects, I find it most effective in creating animations. For example, using a random number generator and initializing it to a variable, then applying that variable as an argument for certain shapes in my self-portrait sketch, allowed me to simulate the movement of the ‘mouth’ shape, giving the illusion of the sketch talking. To me, randomness is most enjoyable and useful when applied in animations.
In the balance between total randomness and complete control, I prefer maintaining more control over an object while leaving some variables to function randomly. This approach not only makes the model more reliable but also allows me to observe and understand the specific randomization patterns more clearly. Much like in research, where we use a “control” scenario to keep experiments fair, having a balance between control and randomness helps detect how certain variables influence the behavior of others.