In his presentation Chance
Operations, Casey Reas, delves into the new media art of software-generated
artwork. As someone relatively unfamiliar with the field of artistic work I
found his presentation to be not only informative but very enlightening. Throughout
the presentation he established the history and progression of his artwork,
also incorporating the work of other artists that were keystones in the
development of computer-generated art. 

In my first experiences with
computer-generated art I found myself unable to see the substance of computer
generated works. Other than aesthetically pleasing patterns I saw nothing in it
as revolutionary and was left perplexed by the subject.

My viewpoint has changed after
seeing this discussion of the work, primarily through Reas’ explanations. I
found his contemplations of specific works to be very edifying and his
method to be purposeful. I specifically enjoyed when he gave examples of
generative work. Showing the code while he did such was very informative to the
process and “hit home” with me.

I was particularly intrigued by the
relationship or chaos and order throughout the presentation. Seeing how the
artist controls the levels of such in relation to one another to produce works
with almost infinitely varied results was very interesting. Overall I came to
see that the new media artist uses the obedience of the computer as a precise
tool, much in the same way a painter uses a brush, to create a masterpiece.
Thus, in my eyes, the validity of the art form was established.

-Steven Krejcik