Page 22 - Studio-International-January-1974

drawing machine (Fig. 5a, b). Assume that the
computer has already been loaded with the
programme by means of which it will be able to
interpret my own instructions. (My instructions
here will not be phrased in any existing 'higher-
level' language but in a fictitious one designed to
make clear what is being done. In fact I will
describe programmes diagrammatically, by
means of what are known as 'flow-charts', rather
than in the line-by-line form required by every
language.) Let's see if the machine works :

Above and right, figure 5a & b now that this programme has been loaded, I
type 'RUN' on the teletype, and the machine
responds . . . 3. The programme has taken
In general, you might say that the computer around 1 /50,000 of a second to run — the ,
may receive messages from any device which is teletype, being mechanical, takes much longer
capable of putting an electrical voltage on a line, to operate, of course — and we know that the
and may control any device which can be machine can figure out that z +2=3.
switched by a change in voltage generated by Let's try something a bit more complicated:
the computer. The user today has a host of
peripherals at his disposal, covering a wide
range of sophisticated abilities : perhaps for that
very reason it is important to recognize that the that he couldn't possibly do it for himself. He
use of more sophisticated peripherals does not will almost inevitably find himself confronted
necessarily imply more sophisticated use of the by professionals who are more than anxious to
computer. If you wanted to make an animated help him, but that might be a large part of his
sequence, say of a cube revolving in space, then problem. 'What will the machine do ?' he asks.
a television-like device which could display `Well', he is told, 'it will do A, B, C, or D. You
individual frames at the rate of thirty per second just choose which you want and we will
would have much to commend it over a programme it for you The specialist is well-
mechanical device like a plotter, whose pen intentioned, and it seems unreasonable to
only moves at five or six inches per second as it blame him if he is less than well-informed about
draws the frames one by one. As far as the what the artist wants. Surprisingly, he will
computer is concerned, however, the task is to probably assume the artist to be incapable of
generate a series of views of a cube rotating in learning to programme, or at least unwilling to this time, when I have loaded the
space, and it will use literally the same do so. Less surprisingly, he will probably hold programme and type 'RUN', the machine will
programme to do so regardless of what device it the notion that art is principally involved with get the i it has just put in the cell labelled
is addressing. the production of 'exciting' images, and that he COST, square it, store the result in BOX3, and
The point would seem obvious enough not to will best serve the artist's needs if he can enable then print out that result. But then, instead of
need underlining, were it not that many writers him to produce a large number of widely stopping, it will add I to the I already in COST,
appear to hold the view that the failure of differing images, all 'exciting'. and go through the whole cycle again, printing
'computer-art' to achieve images of notable How would it be to try to write poetry by out 4 this time, and then 9, 16, 25, and so on
stature can be ascribed to the lack of employing a specialist in rhyme-forms ? Each until it has completed the ten re-iterations called
peripherals appropriate to the artist's needs ! time you get to the end of a line you call him for.
Incongruously, the kind of peripheral upon the up to ask what word he thinks would best This is pretty simplistic, of course,
basis of which some of these writers project rosy convey what you have in mind. The process involving a lot of unnecessary PUTting and
futures for 'computer-art' don't relate to new sounds rather more promising than trying to GETting into and out of memory. If the
needs, but to old ones. All will be well when the produce art by getting a specialist to write machine's language were a little more
artist can communicate to the computer with a computer programmes on your behalf. If we are sophisticated, we could have written the
paint-brush.4 to get past 'computer-are, as I am sure we shall, programme :
Failure to produce significant images arises to art made with the help of computers, it will
from lack of understanding, not from lack of need to be on the basis of a massive change of
machines. The truth is that it has been, and mental-set on the part of the artist.5
remains, extremely difficult for any artist to find Suppose, now, that I have a computer whose
out what he would need to know, either to use abilities are like those I have described. Suppose
the computer, or even to overcome his certainty also that it is connected to a teletype and to a