Many art theoreticians seem to ignore the fact that a universal “meta code” bonding properties of all living forms has already been quite a long time ago “invented” and is called DNA. It affects all the basic features: eye color, talents and mental illnesses as well as sexual and aesthetic preferences. Reference to darwinism in the context of musical analysis may seem silly to many, although it is exactly the opposite. Let us just look at a simple fact: cultural information is build-up and distributed in ways that are pre-enabled by biological properties. The evolutionary drive to increase the complexity and optimize its efficiency is a very promising model that –while reasonably applied- could be a powerful basis and an extension to present aesthetics as well. It is the strong coupling with the technologically extended physiology and neuroaesthetical constructivism that can change the current role of the art -a reflection, statement, symbol or reference – and make it a stimulant. On the other hand this approach fully endorses generative art. Thanks to the neuroaesthetical approach and knowing about the first huge achievements of posthumanism, each musical piece becomes – more or less – subjectively erotic and – more or less – pantheistically sacred. I consider it right to subject the music to kind of “autopsy”, i.e. affirmative deconstruction aimed at capturing the proportions of processes occurring within and the chosen material (such analysis reveals why music of Grisey is so ductilely organic and why the chords of thirds structure but built on a basis of Harry Partch’s tonality diamond carry much more expression than those used in the 12-TET.
“THE OUTSIDER” A DOCUMENTARY ON HARRY PARTCH:
IT IS THE STRONG COUPLING WITH THE TECHNOLOGICALLY EXTENDED PHYSIOLOGY AND NEUROAESTHETICAL CONSTRUCTIVISM THAT CAN CHANGE THE CURRENT ROLE OF THE ART FROM A REFLECTION AND REFERENCE TO A STIMULANT
Information without a context, both external and internal (personal filter of perception apparatus) does not imply any quality. Sound, taste or a word is neither nice nor warm or soft – we simply map them as such. Intellect is the one programming, yet it depends on the senses – thus, “embodied” perception is the mechanical basisof understanding. We need to map the experienced processes on all our modalities if we are willing to understand them as well as discover new opportunities and spaces of sensual experience. It is a process similar to working out and acquisition of skills thanks to this practice. For example, I practiced my synesthesia for several years and noticed the actual development, further coupling of the different senses and expansion of the phenomenon to the further domains being sensually ambiguous (I’ll skip the wider explanation of this issue here for the sake of a simple description, because of the inadequacy of the complexity level in this topic). In this situation, literally whatever we can only grasp becomes the material. That is my understanding of “absolute music” I mentioned before – progressive, new abstractionism.
A SERIES OF COMPUTER GRAPHICS CREATED BY ANNA SZTWIERTNIA, INSPIRED BY MY SYNAESTHESIA IN ONE OF MY MUSICAL PIECES:
Of course, there is no way we can limit the hermeneutics, the work’s context always creates some external meaning. Still I care primarily about the creative approach of creating a product, shaped by the situation and a number of different factors, but still not oriented on emphasizing the presence of the author’s expression. I do not see any greater reason for his current role in the world; the author is the initiator, the originator, the “inseminating one” and very often partly also the executor. His original statement in the abstract work is not so clear, but it simply is not necessary at all. The creator is to generate a product, a work enabling the local, “personal tints” to a much greater extent than ever before. Efficiency, elegance and hygiene of this kind of work is for me the first meaningful remedy for the late neodecadent, postmodern thinking and the reality of anti-aesthetical, deliberate kitsch. It is intervening and causing changes in the environment that constitutes existence. By creating a product, developed by each recipient individually and responsive to the community on both the conscious as well as hidden, mechanical level and then creating a diagonal, neuroaesthetic counterpoints between them seems to me a necessary, much-anticipated extension of the composing process by embracing subsequent, new parameters.
MARCIN STRZELECKI ON GENETIC ALGORITHMS IN MUSIC AND SOUND ART:
When I recall my attitude when I was a little boy I can safely say that figurative art and abstract for me was almost the same. Social regulations and religious systems are extremely effective in destroying innate predispositions and different points of view (which can be a very valuable), often before they even manifest themselves. Let us remember that it is the diversity that is an assurance of immunity and it increases the chances of survival of the life in the ever-changing ecosystem. Conscious, awaken author of the new art understands that the role of commentator and organizer of social situations is no longer sufficient; we need a new expansion, which also brings a new abstraction. There is no finish line. Transcend or die.
EMBODIED PERCEPTION IS THE MECHANICAL BASIS OF UNDERSTANDING
Sensible consideration of bio-mechanistic method in the process of creation allows a product to be much more digestible than that focused only on cultural and social relations. The effects of such a formal-aesthetic organization can be compared to a honeycomb – a structure built in a natural way but distinguished by optimal, logical construction allowing the most efficient space management. However, one cannot find a single, perfectly shaped hexagon in the honeycomb. All the elements are closely related to the model of a larger whole and each other as well but they take the form of an infinite number of different variants that retain a high degree of similarity. Similarly, the development of algorithmic art certainly opens up new possibilities in making it even more efficient than before. When it comes to more specific analysis of our perception and associations we make unconsciously even more surprising ideas begin to emerge.
