Post 02: Reading & Response 1

In the article “Delusions of Dialogue: Control and Choice in Interactive Art”, author Jim Campbell argues that computer-based art is inherently separate from tradition media because of the mechanical, mathematical output of the medium. He states that computers are designed as controllable devices, which conflicts with the “organic” nature of traditional art. While paintings, movies, and sound are developed without prediction of the audience’s reactions, interactive computer art must be designed to respond or keep track of all potential input, and are thus biased towards engineering a specific response from the audience. Campbell explains that these limitations can be overcome by thinking about the work from the view of the program itself, not the audience. By approaching the work from this perspective, the questions of what input can be measured and how to interpret them becomes the focal point of the work’s effect on the audience. Campbell also notes that unlike humans, computers are capable of making truly random decisions, free from the bias of the user.

This concept of spontaneity through calculation can be compared with the works of Los Angeles artist and professor Casey Reas. While Reas is most known for his “Process” series, which explores the nature of synthetic and natural developed systems, his 2007 work “Protean Image” plays heavily into Campbell’s arguments. The work involves a visual projection that allows audiences to modify using filled-out programming cards. This The result is a synthetic visualization driven by spontaneous organic input, while still capable of generating the visual patterns on it own.

While Campbell’s arguments help narrow the distinction between art and interface, I think there also needs to be a better clarification on what kind of input the user has, how much impact it has on the work itself, as well as how much sense of control or predictability they feel. An important aspect in avoiding predictability in interactive art is the abstraction between the user's input and how the art changes.