Page 20 - Studio-International-January-1974
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characteristics with what we normally regard as   like alphabetic characters, colours or
                                               art-making behaviour. Let us now look at the   instructions. The computer is a general-purpose
                                               computer itself, and then examine what some of   symbol-manipulating machine, and it is capable
                                               these characteristics may be.             of dealing with any problem which can be given
                                                 There is an increasing diversity in computer   a symbolic representation. If its accelerating use
                                               design today. At one end of the spectrum   in our society rests upon its remarkable
                                               machines are getting smaller, at the other end   versatility, then its versatility rests in part upon
                                               they are getting much, much bigger; at both   the fact that a very large number of problems —
                                               ends they are becoming much faster. Yet it   much larger than you might suspect — do indeed
                                               remains reasonable to talk about 'the machine'   lend themselves to symbolic, even numerical,
                                               because, big or small, fast or slow, all computers   representation.
                                               do much the same things, and consist,       The on-off switch might not seem too
                                               diagrammatically at least, of the same parts. Part   promising as a device for counting, since it can
      Figure
      The Hewlett Packard 2 100 A computer is a small,   of it, usually called the Input/Output Unit,   only record 'zero' — off, or 'one' — on. But a race
      fast, general purpose machine characteristic of the   takes care of its communication with the world   of creatures with two-hundred and seventy-nine
      `minis' now on the market
                                               outside itself. Part, as you probably know, is   fingers might consider our own ten-position-
                                               used for storage — it is the computer's 'memory'.   switch system pretty limiting also. We still need
      rather to propose a structure which can be seen,
      as a whole, to account for the things the artist
      does. The notion of Purpose might then
      reasonably be thought to characterize that
      structure, as a whole.
        In what terms, then, would it be possible to
      maintain that the use of the computer might
      `advance the artist's Purpose' ? Any claim based
      upon the evidence that 'art' has been produced
      would need to be examined with some care, and
      in the absence of any firm agreement as to what
      is acceptable as art we would probably want to
      see, at least, that the 'art' had some very
      fundamental characteristics in common with
      what we ordinarily view as art. This could not
      be done only on the basis of its physical
      characteristics : merely looking like an existing
      art object would not do. We would rather want
      to see it demonstrated that the machine
      behaviour which resulted in the 'art' had
      fundamental characteristics in common with
      what we know of art-making behaviour.
        This is already coming close to a more
      speculative position: that the use of the machine
      might be considered to advance the artist's   The 'operations room' of the whole machine,   to add a second switch to get up to 99, a third
      Purpose if, following the earlier argument, it   appropriately enough called the Central   to get up to 999, and so on. Whatever 'base' you
      could be seen that this use might itself generate,   Processing Unit (CPU), is concerned with the   use for counting, how high you can count
      or at least update, an appropriate notion of   processing of the stuff the machine handles, and   depends upon how many switches — each with
      structure.                               for shifting this stuff around inside the machine.   the 'base' number of positions — you put
        In either of these cases, it must be clear that   If you think of 'memory' as a very long string   together. When the 'base' is two, you will need a
      my definitions have much in common with the   of numbered boxes, or cells, then the CPU   large number of switches to get very far, but
      curious way in which we ordinarily make our   looks after the business of storing things in the   each of them need only have two positions — on
      definitions of art. We would probably agree,   cells, labelling the cells, keeping up an index of   or off: obviously an ideal situation for counting
      simply on the evidence that we see around us   where all the labels in use are to be found,   electrically. (Fig. 3.)
      today, that the artist considers one of his   retrieving the contents of cells with particular   If you were to take a somewhat less
      functions to be the redefinition of the notion of   labels, and so on.             metaphorical look at those little cells in the
      art.2   Or we might say that the artist uses art in   What are these 'things', this 'stuff' the   computer's memory, you would see that each
      some way to redefine, i.e. modify himself. But   machine handles ? There are different ways of   one was in fact a string of switches. Most small
      since he is the agency which is responsible for   answering this question, and their relationship   modern computers have adopted sixteen as a
      the art process which effects the modification,   demonstrates one of the most significant features   standard, though not all : and you can figure out
      we could restate this : the artist who uses art to   of the computer. Physically speaking, what the   that this sixteen-switch cell — or 'sixteen-bit
      modify the artist who uses art to modify. . . .   machine handles is pulses of electrical current,   word', to use the jargon — will be able to hold
       These are recursive3   structures. I think it will   which are triggered by switches, and in turn   any number up to 216-I. In a very rough sense,
      become evident in due course that my     trigger other switches. But the configurations   the size of the machine is measured by how
      definition of Purpose is recursive also; and the   into which the switches are set actually   many of these words it has in its memory, and
      balance of this article may suggest that it has, in   represent numbers, and the numbers represent   its speed by how long it takes to retrieve one.
      fact, been generated by my use of the machine.   . . . well, just about anything that can be   There would probably be between four and
      For the moment, though, I propose to adopt the   represented numerically : quantities,   thirty-two thousand sixteen-bit words in a
      earlier position, and to argue that the machine's   dimensions and values obviously, but also   small machine : up to a quarter of a million sixty-
      behaviour shares some very fundamental    anything which can be given a numerical code,    four-bit words in a big one. (Fig. 4.)

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