How does the generative process used in
this installation compare to the processes Brian used
in the creation of other generative music?
Well, there are actually two generative processes
that are used in this show.
There's one for the audio and that is how Brian
has traditionally made generative music by
randomising the overlaps of things.
And that's actually quite a physical thing in that
there are CDs and there are players and they
physically kind of, well not physically, the audio overlaps.
The difference between this—ie '77 Million Paintings'—
is that this is the first time that's been applied to
visual paintings digitally, so it's the first time
that he's using software to randomise it.
Most technologies were developed either because
it made things cheaper, faster, more efficient
or imposed a greater degree of control over processes.
It was an exercise in thinking about the way that
technology can increase randomness.
Now, people think of computers as
very controlling and indeed they are.
They're an extremely precise machine for absolute control.
But what computers are also brilliant at doing is
absolute randomising and because it's digital data
computers can randomise brilliantly like no other process.
So in the past, even with the audio in these shows
when Brian used to do stuff with projectors,
eventually it would come back to the beginning
because there was no real way of randomising a physical thing,
whereas because this isn't a physical thing,
this is digital data and it's run by a computer,
a computer can randomise infinitely and that's
the first time this has been possible.
So, it's using a computer as a scrambling element
rather than a controlling element.
.