The first thing about Casey Reas’ speech that caught my attention was his collaboration with Ben Fry, which focused on visualizing biology data from MIT and the way that proteins communicate back and forth – positive or negative signals within a cancer cell (randomness was used but in a slight manner). This example proved to me that an artwork truly becomes a piece of art when it is shaped by the story it holds, something to which we can relate.
Another project I found interesting was his creation of conceptual vehicles and software, each color-coded based on their wiring, which was influenced by anatomist Valentino Braitenberg’s hypothetical vehicles, whether inverse or positive, straight connection or cross-connection. A quote that then stood out to me was “a little bit of randomness and a lot of decision-making” (11:43), which showed the complexity in art that many see as “simple.”
Further in the video, the reference to random graphics reminded me of Skip Lists in Data Structures where the reliance is on a 50/50 chance serves as a technique to ensure efficient performance. This validates the deep integration of math, computer science, and physics in art. Further, Reas broke down the barriers between these disciplines, emphasizing how randomness, far from being blind, is a planned element that adds an unexpected dimension to the artistic output, an argument with which I completely agree!
Personally, this speech has solidified my belief in the interdisciplinary nature of art. The combination of several distinct disciplines showcased in the work Reas displayed challenged preconceptions that even I had about the simplicity of digital art. That being said, the speech left a question surrounding the impact of technological advancements on art: Is there ever a line to be drawn as to the art is no longer by the artist but rather a computer, and have we reached that age yet, especially with AI generative art, although different from the work displayed in the video?