[TESLA@CS UCL] Paul Brown: Stepping Stones in the Mist

Stepping Stones in the Mist
a presentation by Paul Brown, Visiting Professor The Centre for
Computational Neuroscience and Robotics University of Sussex
(paul-U2tHKox1plRxJj5HJdA+DA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, http://www.paul-brown.com,
http://www.cogs.susx.ac.uk/ccnr/research/creativity.html)

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.

Paul Brown

Time and place:
Tesla - Art and Science Research Interest Group, Computer Science
http://www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/research/tesla/
Department, University College London
April 27th, 18:00 - 20:00
Malet Place Eng 1.02
http://www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/images/uclcs_map.jpg.

Hope to see you there,

Gordana
Tesla Group Coordinator
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Gordana Novakovic
Senior Research Fellow
AHRC/ACE art & science fellow
Leverhulme Trust artist in residence
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
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