Upon watching Casey Reas’ talk, I became interested in his approach of using artificial, computation processes to create something that feels “organic,” as he says. Another thing that resonated with me was when he mentioned how he was more interested on the paths that elements were taking while moving rather than on their individual location at specific moments. I plan on keeping these two features in my mind for my future works. I want to apply this thinking by designing systems where the journey and behavior of elements matter more than their fixed positions, letting randomness guide their movements while maintaining an intentional overall direction or purpose, and create something with that “organic” feeling, where the work doesn’t look rigidly programmed but instead has a natural, living quality to it.
I think the optimum balance lies in incorporating random elements by establishing controlled boundaries while allowing freedom within those constraints. Simply put, controlling where something can exist or move, but letting how it moved or which specific direction it takes to be determind by chance. There would be a defined space or ruleset but then letting randomness operate freely within those parameters. In this way, everything still feels intentional and cohesive because it’s all happening within a thoughtfully designed framework.