brief thoughts on Gleick, J, 1988 “Chaos, Making a New Science.”

Gleick, J, 1988 “Chaos, Making a New Science.”  William Heinemann Ltd, Great Britain.

Raises the significance of chance, shows the extent of unpredictability of nature, the fact that nature is unpredictable is inescapable, we can collect a huge amount of data but due to the complexity of nature and the uncertainty principle it is impossible to make definite predictions of outcomes, for example a weather system or a painting. This unpredictability is undeniably the source of the wide variety of things, unpredictability or chance is also a source of beauty. 

The insight of chaos theory is fundamental to my values in art, I find it fascinating to consider how from a starting point and the uncertainty of that first event in the process of a painting will ultimately define the whole painting. These moments and the proceeding moments relationships are intrinsically linked, the network of marks made is deeply fascinating. I'm excited by the what could happen, the what might of happened and the what ifs, that these  systems reveal. Such a simple beginning that is relatively over looked has such depth to it. 

What happened in the moments of observation

Like in quantum superpositions we are only able to see the results by observing, the air of mystery of the actual, this is very intriguing and in my mind reflected in mark making, and the idea of art as a document. 

Eye and hand.ways of seeing.

Thought and action.