ART Habens Byron Rich degree of subjectivity built in . That ’ s what I ’ m working on removing now . When I ponder whether a computer can play a creative role , I tend to think it can set up parameters for creativity . I ’ ll give you one of my favorite examples . Charles Bukowski had an old Apple computer . He began using it to write poetry . The simple word processor had some autoformat functionality , and rather than fight against it , Bukowski embraced it . The old Apple became a collaborator of sorts . Was it a conscious creator ? Obviously not , but did it play a role in the development and ultimate interpretation of the work ? Certainly .
So I guess it becomes more of a philosophical question : Does something need consciousness to be creative ? I worry that creativity is over-fetishized by those who want to put humanity on a pedestal . Will a computer ever be able to be unequivocally conscious ? I don ’ t know . I think this stuff with the Neural Networks is an interesting foray into it , however it is still fraught with philosophical questions . And therein lies the power of art : Being a catalyst for brining these enormous questions into the light . I think art , like science , should be probing the ultimate questions : Who are we ? Where did we come from ? What does it mean to be human ? You know , those little things that we all wrestle with to one degree or another while we wait for a bus or clip our nails . I don ’ t think art can answer these questions the same way that science can , but I believe that art can open intellectual doors to ways of thinking that no other method can . It ’ s a wildly liberated space if you let it be . I always tell my students to not be held down by the history of a medium . When you respect where you came from , but not allow it to completely rule you , then you can make work that really asks something of its viewer .
Thanks a lot for your time and for sharing your thoughts , Byron . Finally , would you like to tell our readers something about your future projects ? How do you see your work evolving ?
I have no idea . I don ’ t think of myself as much of a maker . I think I come up with crazy ideas , and utilize whatever I can to make them a reality ( or fiction ). I think I need to fall in love with a process , something I ’ ve failed to do . I ’ ve missed out on jobs and opportunities at every corner because I ’ m just never in love with a way of producing and too in love with the idea . I think I need to become more knowledgeable . Theoretically and technically I have a lot of work to do in becoming the kind of artist I want to be .
I think my work is on the verge of major change . I don ’ t know what path that will lead me down yet , but with some time I will figure something out . Or not . This summer I have been lucky enough to spend my time in Europe at a couple residencies . Pilotenkueche ( www . pilotenkueche . net ) in Leipzig , Germany . The second was a bit of a dream come true . It was Ars Bioarctica , in Kilpisjarvi , Finland . Working in these two wildly different environments has produced some interesting outcomes . I ’ m working on a project called Repatriated , and another called GARRy ( GPS Assisted Ragweed Robot ). Both are about reintroducing material and immaterial remnants back to their origins . Repatriated is a huge departure for me . I ’ m excited about it . I ’ ll be heading home to western Canada in August , and I ’ m going to do another Repatriation of residue from the Fukushima Daiichi disaster .
To answer your question more concretely , I need to get a handle on the biological science side of things . That is my goal now . Juggling gaining that intimate knowledge with showing , teaching , and trying to have a life is hard , and will take time .
An interview by
, curator and curator
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