It is not necessary for a lay audience to understand the code to
appreciate it, much as it is not necessary to know how to play
guitar
in order to appreciate watching a guitar performance.
Dear Adrian -
I have been contemplating this question for some time now. How to reduce
this distance and make code transparent to a degree that the "generative"
aspect is self evident? Any kind of auxiliary visuals can only be facile
interpretations, I feel.
One way of doing this, for the TopLap performer, would be to code using a
new language.
For instance, his codes would be played only upon a 3X3 grid of
proto-symbols, which formulate the basic meanings of this language. As you
play upon this virtual board of dynamic patterns, the music and the vision
become one for the audience too, since the surprise comes to you and them at
precisely the same point. It's a long shot, but an attractive one for me. If
the process becomes open then we must redefine virtuosity in art by some
other yardstick - an abstract one.
I am so obviously day-dreaming that I should shut up now ;)
cheers,
- RG
Received on Sun Apr 16 2006 - 14:57:37 BST