¿Qué hago?

“What I do?” It symbolizes the constant search for direction in an environment that changes unpredictably. The labyrinth, which is redrawn with each click, reflects the fluctuating nature of the decisions and paths we take in life, paths that are never the same and for which there is no certainty that will lead us to the expected destination. Uncertainty and indecision freeze us almost as if in automatic response. The fetal position brings us back home, gives us security in the midst of chaos.

Technical, aesthetic and conceptual development

“What do I do?” is a generative artwork that explores the complexity of uncertainty and the search for direction and attempts to convey them through the p5.js interface. The piece is built on a 512x512 pixel canvas with a light background, exclusively using lines of different lengths and shades of dark gray. These form a labyrinth that acts as a background, and a central figure seated in a fetal position. The simplicity of the elements used together with the shades of gray support the attempt to convey a certain feeling of calm and constant uncertainty, as well as the need for introspection.

The image is made up of two parts: first, a randomly created maze from randomly generated numbers and a repeating structure that defines the grid for the lines. And then, the central figure, which has a background to contrast with the labyrinth, is composed of horizontal lines that form a person in a fetal position. The lines that form the labyrinth are deliberately raw and geometric, contrasting with the more organic and fluid form of the human figure, creating a visual tension that underlines the conflict between order and disorder.

The influence of electronic imaging pioneers such as Frieder Nake and Vera Molnár is evident in the use of geometric structures and generative patterns that define the labyrinth. Nake, with his exploration of interactivity and randomness in art, and Molnár, with his focus on structures and geometry, offer the inspiration in which this work is situated.

Furthermore, the work is related to several of the categories mentioned by José Luis Brea in “Brief (and disordered) antiglossary - or dictionary of topics - on electronic art.” First of all it can be classified as “electronic art”, since it is developed in a digital environment and depends on electronic devices (the computer and programming in p5.js). Although Brea is critical of categorization based on technical specifications, my work uses computing technologies and runs in an environment that relies on transistors and chips, which would include it in this definition. Furthermore, the fact that it is created from code in p5.js, and therefore translated into a sequence of 0s and 1s, means that it can also be considered within the “Digital” category. Although Brea does not delve into this category, it formally refers to any work that has been processed in a binary format.

Finally, in “Redefinition of artistic practices (s. 21)”, Brea argues that there are no works of art in the strict sense, but rather artistic practices that produce significant, affective and cultural effects. My work exemplifies this idea by focusing on process and interaction rather than the creation of a fixed artistic object. The generative labyrinth in p5.js is not a finished object, but a practice that seeks to provoke symbolic and intensive effects through the viewer’s continuous interaction. Instead of presenting a finished work, the piece promotes a process of meaning and reflection in the viewer, generating a dynamic experience that is constantly redefined. This approach reflects Brea’s notion that contemporary art manifests itself in the production of circulatory effects, where artistic value lies in the impact of practice on experience and perception, rather than in the creation of an aesthetically finished object.

Literature

Brea, J. L. (2002). Breve (y desordenado) antiglosario –o diccionario de tópicos- sobre el arte electrónico. En La era postmedia. Acción comunicativa, prácticas (post)artísticas y dispositivos neomediales (pp. 4-8). Salamanca: CASA Editorial.

Brea, J. L. (2008). Redefinición de las prácticas artísticas (s. 21). En El tercer umbral. Estatuto de las prácticas artísticas en la era del capitalismo cultural (pp. 106-113). Murcia: CENDEAC.

Smith, G. W. (2019). An Interview with Frieder Nake. Arts, 8(2), 69. https://doi.org/10.3390/arts8020069

The Morgan Library & Museum. (2021). Morganmobile: Order and Disorder. Recuperado de https://www.themorgan.org