Chance Operations and Ordered Randomness
Watching Casey Reas talk about chance operations changes how we see art. It is not full control. It is not total randomness. It is something in between.
Determinism is boring because everything is already decided. There is no surprise. Chaos is also boring because nothing has meaning when anything can happen.
Ordered randomness is different. The artist sets simple rules. The system creates the result. The final work is not chosen by hand. It grows on its own. It feels natural and alive.
I think the best balance is when the user knows how their input affects the system, but not the exact result. If the output is predictable with total certainty, the art becomes flat. On the other hand, if the output is completely random, it feels like TV noise. There is nothing to hold on to.
We see this balance in nature. Small rules create big patterns. Clouds form. Birds move in groups. No one controls every part, yet it still makes sense.
Chance operations show that we do not need to choose between control and chaos. We can guide the process without forcing it. When we create space for the unexpected, the outcome becomes more interesting.