Recognizable Earthly Art ?Recognizable Earthly Art ?

Carlo H. Séquin

EECS Computer Science DivisionUniversity of California, Berkeley

The QuestionThe Question

Which of the artworks produced by the human race might be recognizable as “ART” by some future visiting foreign intelligences ?

Is It Art ?Is It Art ?

Sometimes “art” is indistinguishable from its surroundings

Is this “Art” -- Is this Special” ?Is this “Art” -- Is this Special” ?

YES – if it was done by your own child !

Another “Special” DrawingAnother “Special” Drawing

Medhia Mahmood, age 5, Gainesville, VA

Why are These Paintings “Special” ?Why are These Paintings “Special” ?

Is This “Special” ?Is This “Special” ?

They were painted by an Elephant in Thailand

Is This “Special” ?Is This “Special” ?

YES – painted by a robot

““Robotic Action Painter”Robotic Action Painter”

and its inventor / designer: Leonel Moura

studio@leonelmoura.com

Painting by “Robotic Action Painter”

Is This “Special” ?Is This “Special” ?

YES – painted by someone famous

YES ! – done by Jackson Pollock

Is this also “Special” ?Is this also “Special” ?

Perhaps … – believed to be done by Pollock

Is This “Special” ?Is This “Special” ?

NO – just a piece of a lab coat

Not really! – done by an on-line applet !

Pollock GeneratorPollock Generator

http://a.parsons.edu/~can/code/intro.html

Now also as an iPhone AppletNow also as an iPhone Applet

Importance of Background InformationImportance of Background Information

Background Knowledge is often the only reason why something is considered to be

– “art”

– or valuable

– or at least “special”

But what if no such information is available ?

Then the artwork/artifact has to speak for itself …

Little Background AvailableLittle Background Available

True for our most ancient known art pieces

Cave PaintingsCave Paintings

30’000 years old

Little Background AvailableLittle Background Available

True for our most ancient known art pieces

25’000 years old Discovered 1908

Is This Something Special ?Is This Something Special ?

Archeologists debate whether this modified stone was meant to represent a woman.

Was there a conscious mind at work to shape this stone into a tool ?

300’000 years old

SCIENCE VOL 323, Feb. 6, 2009SCIENCE VOL 323, Feb. 6, 2009

77’000 years old

Our Question -- AgainOur Question -- Again

Which of the artworks produced by the human race might be recognizable as “ART” to some future visiting foreign intelligences ?

By looking back we can gain some insightsof what it might be like for future intelligences

to puzzle over artifacts left by today’s civilization.

First of all, our “art” must be able to survive!

Whirled White WebWhirled White Web Breckenridge 2003 Breckenridge 2003

12:40 pm -- 4212:40 pm -- 42° F° F

12:41 pm -- 4212:41 pm -- 42° F° F

100’000 Year Doomsday Scenarios100’000 Year Doomsday Scenarios

Some virus wipes out almost all of mankind( as in George R. Stewart’s “Earth abides”). Civilization, as we know it, disappears.

Giant volcanic eruption covers everything with many meters of ash.

Some man-made stupidity destroys our habitat.

Some Things That Will NOT Survive:Some Things That Will NOT Survive:

Magnetic Tapes

CDs and DVDs

Books and Journals

Unprotected Paintings

• Today’s New-Media Art & Installations

More Stuff that Will Not Survive:More Stuff that Will Not Survive:

100’000 Years in the Future100’000 Years in the Future

Only inorganic materials survive

All museums have caved in

Most written / printed information is lost

Tapes, CDs, DVD’s are all unreadable

No background information available !

What objects can speak for themselves ?

Among the Artifacts that Do Survive,Among the Artifacts that Do Survive,

What Makes an Object “Special”?What Makes an Object “Special”?

It must stand out from its surroundings

Something that Stands OutSomething that Stands Out

Big stone structures in a flat landscape

Nothing Special . . .Nothing Special . . .

Just some dirty sidewalk with typical 20th century junk

A Precious Instrument …A Precious Instrument …

…with a sensible cover (Joseph Beuys: Center Piece)

Among the Artifacts that Among the Artifacts that DoDo Survive, Survive,

What Makes an Object “Special”?What Makes an Object “Special”?

It must stand out from its surroundings

Should not look “accidental”

““Unfinished Construction Site”Unfinished Construction Site”

Another installation by Joseph Beuys

A Manufacturing Mishap ?A Manufacturing Mishap ?

Why could the walls not be made straight ?Why could the walls not be made straight ?

Richard Serra

Richard Serra: Richard Serra: Torqued EllipsesTorqued Ellipses

Among the Artifacts that Do Survive,Among the Artifacts that Do Survive,

What Makes an Object “Special”?What Makes an Object “Special”?

It must stand out from its surroundings

Should not look “accidental”

Should exhibit a plan, conscious thought

Clearly a Special DesignClearly a Special Design

Nazca Lines in Peru

Art or Wallpaper ?Art or Wallpaper ?

Drawings by Sol LeWitt

Among the Artifacts that Do Survive,Among the Artifacts that Do Survive,

What Makes an Object “Special”?What Makes an Object “Special”?

It must stand out from its surroundings

Should not look “accidental”

Should exhibits planning, conscious thought

Appears to require some special skills

How Did They Build This ?How Did They Build This ?

Only a few thousand years ago,and we already have trouble figuring out how it was done

Anybody could do this …Anybody could do this …

Richard Serrra: Lead Piece, 1968

How Did They Build This ?How Did They Build This ?

Among the Artifacts that Do Survive,Among the Artifacts that Do Survive,

What Makes an Object “Special”?What Makes an Object “Special”?

It must stand out from its surroundings

Should not look “accidental”

Should exhibits planning, conscious thought

Appears to require some special skills

Other . . .

Missing Background InformationMissing Background Information

. . . will lead to misinterpretations !

Discovered in NYCDiscovered in NYC

Celebration of . . . ?

And what might this be ?And what might this be ?Celebrating the end of the war with the Indians ?

??????

Some special Antenna from the Electronic Century ?

Another Mysterious ObjectAnother Mysterious Object

Propeller for motor boat ?

Grinder head ?

Galactic force concentrator ?

Hyperbolic Hexagon II, BronzeHyperbolic Hexagon II, Bronze

Installed Feb. 27, 2009 CITRIS headquarter reception area, U.C. Berkeley.

A collaboration between: Brent Collins

(sculptor), Steve Reinmuth

(craftsman), Carlo Séquin

(computer scientist).

Brent Collins: Brent Collins: Hyperbolic Hexagon IIHyperbolic Hexagon II

Brent Collins: Stacked SaddlesBrent Collins: Stacked Saddles

Scherk’s 2Scherk’s 2ndnd Minimal Surface Minimal Surface

Normal“biped”saddles

Generalization to higher-order saddles(monkey saddle)“Scherk Tower”

Hyperbolic HexagonHyperbolic Hexagon by B. Collins by B. Collins

6 saddles in a ring

6 holes passing through symmetry plane at ±45º

= “wound up” 6-story Scherk tower

Discussion: What if … we added more stories ?

or introduced a twist before closing the ring ?

Closing the LoopClosing the Loop

straight

or

twisted

“Scherk Tower” “Scherk-Collins Toroids”

Brent Collins’ Prototyping ProcessBrent Collins’ Prototyping Process

Armature for the Hyperbolic Heptagon

Mockup for the Saddle Trefoil

Time-consuming ! (1-3 weeks)

Sculpture Generator 1Sculpture Generator 1, GUI , GUI

V-artV-art

VirtualGlassScherkTowerwithMonkeySaddles

(Radiance 40 hours)

Jane Yen

Collins’ Fabrication ProcessCollins’ Fabrication Process

Example: Vox Solis

Layered laminated main shapeWood master pattern

for sculpture

Slices through Slices through Minimal TrefoilMinimal Trefoil

50% 10%23%30%

45% 5%20%27%

35% 2%15%25%

One thick slicethru sculpture,from which Brent can cut boards and assemble a rough shape.

Traces represent: top and bottom,as well as cuts at 1/4, 1/2, 3/4of one board.

Profiled Slice through Profiled Slice through HeptoroidHeptoroid

Emergence of the Emergence of the Heptoroid Heptoroid (1)(1)

Assembly of the precut boards

Emergence of the Emergence of the HeptoroidHeptoroid (2) (2)

Forming a continuous smooth edge

Emergence of the Emergence of the HeptoroidHeptoroid (3) (3)

Smoothing the whole surface

The Finished The Finished HeptoroidHeptoroid

at Fermi Lab Art Gallery (1998).

Construction Photos from Construction Photos from

Steve Reinmuth Bronze StudioSteve Reinmuth Bronze Studio

Eugene, OregonEugene, Oregon

The Master Mold for The Master Mold for Hyperbolic Hexagon IIHyperbolic Hexagon II

A Clean Wax CopyA Clean Wax Copy

Adding Sprues and RunnersAdding Sprues and Runners

First Sprues and Runners AddedFirst Sprues and Runners Added

Details of Sprues and RunnersDetails of Sprues and Runners

Into the Kiln – Burning out the WaxInto the Kiln – Burning out the Wax

Bronze PourBronze Pour

Polish and PatinaPolish and Patina

Hyperbolic Hexagon IIHyperbolic Hexagon II at CITRIS, 2/27/09at CITRIS, 2/27/09

Will this survive ?Will this survive ?

Will it be recognizable as something special ?Will it be recognizable as something special ?

Yes . . .

if it is not turned into bullets for some future war!

or will be used as a source of copper …

Helaman Ferguson: Work in stone !

Helaman Ferguson: Helaman Ferguson: Two CanoesTwo Canoes

Keizo Ushio: Keizo Ushio: Oushi Zokei,Oushi Zokei, Ono City 2004 Ono City 2004

Q U E S T I O N S ?Q U E S T I O N S ?

Helaman Ferguson: Helaman Ferguson: Two CanoesTwo Canoes

Original model by Helaman Ferguson, 1995

Helaman Ferguson: Helaman Ferguson: Two CanoesTwo Canoes

How it was assembled

ISAMA, San Sebastian 1999ISAMA, San Sebastian 1999

Keizo Ushio and his “OUSHI ZOKEI”

Schematic Model of 2-Link TorusSchematic Model of 2-Link Torus

2 knife blades rotate through 360 degreesas they sweep once around the torus ring

360°