Casey Reas’ talk about chance operations made me think about the relationship between control and power. One example that stood out to me was the massive structure he talks about called “Homage to New York” that was designed to destroy itself through a performance. The structure ended up catching on fire, which was not completely expected, but I found this interesting because the idea behind the work came from the Atomic Age and the huge amount of power that machines and technology can have. It made me think about how we react to things that we create but cannot completely control.
(Homage to New York by Jean Tinguely)
He also mentioned the mistrust of machines and systems of power which i found interesting. Machines are usually made to create order and follow specific rules, but they can also create chaos when something unexpected happens. There’s also a difference between the person creating the system and the machine following through with it. We can give machines instructions but we can’t always predict exactly what will happen. This makes me question how much control we should give machines (especially Ai nowadays), especially when they are connected to systems of power that can affect people.
I also liked the contrast between drawing by hand and making art through a computer. When I draw something myself, it feels more personal because I am controlling every line and decision. With a computer, I can create the rules but then allow chance to take over some of the decisions. For my updated p5.js self-portrait , for example, I learned how to create a set palette of colors and let the computer randomly choose a color whenever I click. I would still control the choices and the overall design, but I would not completely control the final result.
For me, the best balance is somewhere between complete control and complete randomness. I still want my work to feel intentional and personal, but I think adding chance can make it less predictable and more interesting. Reas’ talk changed how I think about randomness because I used to see unexpected results as mistakes. Now I see that they can become part of the artwork itself. It also leaves me wondering how much control an artist should give up and whether a machine can become part of the creative process without taking away the personal side of making art.