Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 8.1
The artistic work is
developedinaniterated
process between a conceptual
representation, as ideas in the
head of the artist, and the
current temporary material
form, as a sketch or
unfinished work. Each
translation step between these
two forms helps adding detail
and depth to the work
is unavailable to an outside observer. Aware of existing theories of creativity, and
with knowledge about key concepts and mechanisms, I can systematically observe
my own processes and draw conclusions which would be impossible if constrained
to artistic results and rhapsodical accounts by others. So, as a researching artist, I
am able to form theories and models based on observation. Then, these theories and
models can be confirmed by others, if they fit their observations of their own or
others' creative behaviour. And potentially, they can be confirmed by simulation in
software, and by evaluation of the artistic outcome of those simulations.
The chapter is not primarily about the novelty aspect of creativity, or the social
and cultural aspects (these issues are addressed in other chapters in this volume).
It concentrates on what goes on in the mind of an artist during the birth and de-
velopment of an artwork from concept to material form. It is primarily based on
experience from music and sound art, but I believe the ideas are applicable to many
other domains. I aim to provide a framework for how artists actually go about real-
ising an artistic idea—maybe not all artists, but I believe many can feel at home in
my description. For simplicity, I will often use examples from simple drawing in my
explanations, to avoid musical terms that may be unfamiliar to the general reader.
The model also provides a terminology and apparatus for analysis of actual cre-
ative processes, and a new framework for the emulation of human artistic creativity.
A lot of computational creativity research focuses on the birth of ideas, but as a
practising artist and composer, I see in my daily practice that more important than
the birth of ideas is this dialogue with the material; with given material (as for a
sculptor and his archetypical marble block) or crafted material—temporary results
and sketches. In my experience, ideas emerge from this dialogue, from misunder-
standings, ambiguities and mistakes. A very small part is the original concept. It is
but a seed, and in some creative processes it may not even exist, e.g. in certain kinds
of improvisation. Much more important is the process, the bouncing between con-
cept and material. Tools provide the paths to go from concept to material—I call this
implementation
, while
re-conceptualisation
takes us the back from material to idea,
as illustrated in Fig.
8.1
. This is the hard part, where we interpret our own temporary
results, and extend, constrain or revise our concept. This process is repeated, until
idea and material have converged into a finished artwork.
