Paul Brown: Stepping Stones in the Mist
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I am very pleased to announce that Professor Paul Brown, artist, one of
the most prominent pioneers of British computer art, is back in the UK,
and will present his work at Tesla Art and Science Group, Department of
Computer Science, University College London on April the 17th, 18:00 --
Malet Place, Eng 1.02. All are welcome to attend - I very much hope that
you will not miss this unique opportunity to get insight into his ground-
breaking body of work, and his current ongoing projects. Please circulate
information to all that might be interested.
Paul, who graduated from the Slade School of Fine Art in 1979, is
currently Visiting Professor at the Centre for Computational Neuroscience
and Robotics, University of Sussex ([log in to unmask],
http://www.paulbrown.com,http://www.cogs.susx.ac.uk/ccnr/research/creativit
y.html)
Simple map:
http://www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/getting_here.html
Abstract:
This presentation is an ongoing, idiosyncratic and non-rigorous account of
my work as an artist who has been involved in the field now known as
Artificial Life for over 30 years. I begin with a few opinions that define
my position within the visual arts (which is far from the current
mainstream) and then go on to describe early influences from the 1960's
and 70's that have framed my involvement in the field of
computational/generative arts. This includes some examples of my work from
this period. The latter part of the presentation describes my working
methodology and includes examples of my more recent work and ends with a
some speculations about where I may go in the future.
The title is a metaphor for my self view as an artist and individual. A
long time ago I stepped off the bank of a misty river or lake and onto a
line of stepping stones. Now, many years later, the stepping stones are
shrouded in the mist. Those behind me are dimmed by the mists of memory
and those in front are hidden by the mists of uncertainty. The one in
front of me is quite clear (as is the one behind) but then they quickly
fade as they progress. I have no idea what lies on the further bank, or
indeed if such a shore even exists! Memories of the bank I left are now
long eroded.
I only really know where I am at this moment or, perhaps, where I have
just been.
Statement
During my 35-year career as an artist my principal concern has been the
systematic exploration of surface. Since 1974 my main tool has been the
computational and generative process. I have established a significant
international reputation in this field of work and was recently described
by Mitchell Whitelaw as. one of the ... pioneers of a-life art
(Metacreation - Art and Artificial Life, MIT Press, 2004, pp.146, 148-152).
My work is based in a field of computational science called Cellular
Automata or CA's. These are simple systems that can propagate themselves
over time. CA's are part of the origins of the discipline known as
Artificial Life or A-life. I have been interested in CA's and their
relationship to tiling and symmetry systems since the 1960's. Over the
past 30 years I have applied these processes to time-based artworks,
prints on paper and large-scale public artworks.
In my artwork I attempt to create venues which encourage the participant
to engage both visually and physically with the work. Because my work
emerges(in the computational sense) from game-like processes I include
elements of play in order to capture and sustain the participant's
attention.
Rather than being constructed or designed, these works " evolve". I look
forward to a future where computational processes like the ones that I
build will themselves make artworks without the need for human
intervention. The creation of such processes is something that has always
fascinated me.
Hope to see you then
Best wishes,
Gordana
_________________
Gordana Novakovic
Artist-in-residence
Tesla Art and Science Group convener
Department of Computer Science
University College London
Malet Place, London WC1E 6BT
http://www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/people/G.Novakovic.html
http://www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/csnews/artist_in_residence.htm
www.fugueart.com
http://www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/research/tesla/
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