In this essay, the authors discuss the mutual influences between art and music and interdisciplinary artist-musicians (or musician-artists). The writing covers the brief history of modern art from the early 20th-century paintings to the latest computer art with relevant musical movements. It was interesting how music and musical movements have influenced fine art by providing new languages and opening up new possibilities. The authors also consider the social aspects by discussing some musicians who studied at art school and artists who produced works in art and music. Thus, the art school could become a hub for both musicians and artists in diverse mediums. I agree that there is a deep connection between the media art and music in its nature. Especially, as the cultural impact of music is significant, I think the musical influences are in the foundation of various domains, including visual art.
Live Coding, tidal cycles to be specific, is a series of algorithms made to manipulate a series of sounds for us to listen to. It is interesting, however, that if we look at the numbers being manipulated we will see, as humans, a drawing like a textile that we cannot read.
computational algorithms and patterns culturally situated in textiles, music, and dance seem closely related
A pattern is a textile we stitch, a table we set, an algorithm we loop through even an etiquette we learn. Hence the relationship between algorithms, patterns, and music may be something we have long realized, like many other algorithms we use today. It is interesting, however, to relate and compare those patterns together. Following patterns of a stitched rug, replacing, maybe colors with notes? swapping between the 2 mediums is a beautiful revelation, especially when connected with live coding, and creating on the go; you can change your carpet design at any moment you wish.
Looking away from the binary algorithmic representation of how things work, bringing in the “what if”. Live coding will bring a what-if question with every new line you will begin to question, doubt, or not like 100%. There is always a better version, a different wave pattern, a frequency, or an order that will work, so what if this algorithmic manipulation works better, what if this order of notes (or colors in the rug) works better. What if it also works better now but never will work again, at least in the same way.
The save button is not a familiar concept for a live coder. It is scary writing something you cannot save. It is even more scary knowing a well-practiced performance piece will never be played the same way twice. Recordings are like drawing on a plate and hanging it, while live coding is like smashing it to let out all the pent-up energy. It is scary sometimes, but that is an artistic scary that comes with knowledge. You threw away your plate, but the next one will look better because you learned something today. Your code is not meant to be saved, but u do learn, remember, and keep experiences and memories alive, even if u have no digital 1s and 0s to show for proof.
The reading reminded me of Allan Kaprow’s Happenings because it seems like multimedia artists focus more on the overall experience of an art piece rather than perfecting individual elements. In engaging multiple senses through a variety of artistic mediums, the end result can be more engaging and pull in the person experiencing the piece. I also see this reflected in Live Coding as we use both audio and visuals to create an all-encompassing experience, with the improvisational nature of the Live Coding medium moving our notion of what an art piece is away from a perfected sequence of events to a more holistic experience. I hope to keep making my Live Coding pieces through this high-level view, focusing on the person’s overall experience of the performance.
This passage mentioned the blurring between the artist and the musician. The author takes the reader through multiple examples which engage with the crossroads of different media as a form of art. It commends people who’ve become “Media Transgressors” by integrating multiple disciplines in their art, and mentions the importance of the Fluxus movement in all of this. The Fluxus movement – experimental pieces focusing on the artistic process rather than the finished product – seems fascinating to me. Especially since I was educated in a time where the lines between disciplines in the arts are already blurred. These media transgression examples remind me a lot of what we do in Interactive Media and Live Coding. On an initial level, we are working in the intersection between music and coding. This practice inherently challenges what music is (as we’ve seen by previous reading grappling with music as a series of patterns or not…), and does so by integrating a completely different discipline. On a second level, all of us come from different backgrounds, and bring in something different into our performances. In some way, could one claim that we are also making small transgressions with our experimental pieces? Irrespective of this, the reading mentioned one of my favorite pieces, the Intonarumori by Luigi Russolo Corale. This artworks, set of instruments, was revolutionary for experimental music. It has a very interesting aesthetic and an even richer sound. Here is a video, so you can see/hear it as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=BYPXAo1cOA4 This, I believe, is an incredible example of how artists challenge what music is. What happens when musicians use non-musical sounds? I am further interested in finding the parallels between some of Russolo’s sounds and some of modern electronic music. The reader also mentioned the interaction between club culture and art, and how they both influence each other. Can you also hear how some samples may come from this? Overall, I find this reading to be very interesting and useful in providing us with a lot of examples of transformational artworks that push the boundaries of art and music.
The reading’s final section delves into the emergence of artists with art school backgrounds into the pop music scene. The author cites PJ Harvey, Pulp, Sade, and M.I.A as examples of musicians who have pursued art studies and have subsequently contributed to pushing boundaries in pop music. This observation resonated strongly with me as I closely follow pop music and admire artists who embrace a DIY ethos, striving for creative control over all aspects of their work. One example that came to mind is the pop duo Magdalena Bay, who not only write, produce, mix, and master all their music but also undertake the filming, directing, and editing of their music videos. Their output of over 51 music videos to date, created solely by two individuals working from their bedroom, showcases the power of self-sufficiency in today’s music landscape.
In the past, I was also drawn to artists like Grimes for the same reason. I believe this culture of autodidacticism, coupled with the increasing accessibility of creative tools, has led to a decentralization of the arts scene and the music industry. Musicians now have the opportunity to explore multidisciplinary approaches and exert creative control over various aspects beyond just the music itself. As access to creative tools continues to expand, I anticipate this trend of musicians embracing a diverse skill set and expanding their creative endeavors to only grow further in the future.
First, I thought the reading was relatively hard to follow because of how many unfamiliar names and references were used, and seemingly random nouns and sentences would be bolded, making them feel important to know before you could understand the reading. It was not an encouraging read to see huge chunks of bolded text that were just names of artists, bands, and pieces that I have never heard of.
What I gained from the reading was a dive into the term ‘artist-musician’, and how interdisciplinary works are becoming more common with time. It is interesting that even today, the term ‘interdisciplinary’ is still used as a buzzword of sorts to highlight an artist, as interdisciplinarity is usually regarded as a favorable addition to any project. The author lists examples of successful interdisciplinary works and notes that “in the pop music scene of recent years, in particular, the dual profession of artist-musician/musician-artist is no longer anything of note”. I agree to a certain extent, that today it might be harder to find a ‘pure’ artist / musician that is not influenced by any other fields.
The reading inspired much thought concerning the boundaries drawn between and around different disciplines of art. While the reading focuses most on the emergence of a specific blend of fields (the artist-musician), it discusses the convergence of artistic fields at large. I took particular interest in how sentiments seeking to challenge such boundaries culminated in modern movements “in which works were dematerialized and became increasingly independent of materials, techniques, media, and genres.” This sort of deconstruction seems particularly prevalent and relevant in today’s age of digital media and art. Characterized by an unprecedented scope of accessibility, variety, and volatility, the digital landscape innately carries an ethos that questions traditional definitions and lines that have made up the art world. This ethos also muddles the edges of non-digital art, as everything that exists in the physical world comes to exist in relation to a digital counterpart and context.
As I made my way through the reading, I was also struck by how topical this discussion was to our class in specific. In the context of live coding, the fogginess of this distinction between artistic fields becomes all the more apparent. As we live code, we are engaging with a mode of composition that sculpts both music and visuals (hence the live coder as the artist-musician/musician-artist) through the language of code and patterns—it is a composite of various art forms, an active conversation between the coder and the computer, and a performance that situates it all in front of a live audience. Live coding embodies and simulates the feeling of synesthesia. Stimuli bounce around and riff off of each other in what is a dynamic art form that defies the possibility of a singular definition and—hearkening back to the previous reading—even challenges the basic conventions of how we understand knowledge.