Clacker- Reading 03

Mark Wilson’s plotter work is on the edge of total order, as he has a set task a plotter is executing, but complexity is derived from the use of the machine as the hand of the painter. He is programmatically instructing a machine to paint, thus elements of complexity are generated as the machine is being instructed to interpret the visual goals of the artist.

csq4002, archival ink jet on rag paper, 61 x 61 cm (24 x 24 in), 2008 csq3422, archival ink jet on rag paper, 61 x 61 cm (24 x 24 in), 2008

Problem of Creativity.
This problem arises, in my opinion, from voices who are concerned about the progression of generative art in relationship to traditional art making. I find this point to be mute because It’s existence poses no threat to existing art forms if it is in fact not creative. But the progression of contemporary art has proven that works like these have artistic merit on their own, and as a movement. Thus they are inherently creative and debating the artistic merit of an entire genre of art only solidifies its place in art history. Though I do agree that like any art form, individual works of generative art should be held to a high standard of criticism, and determining the creativity of a work is part of that evaluation. It is not enough to just rely on a mastery of the tools used for generating the work.