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Thesis Info
- LABS ID
- 00294
- Thesis Title
- DECOMPOSITIONS – Chance Operations in Sound and Art
- Author
- Gil Kuno
- E-mail
- gil AT unsound.com
- 2nd Author
- 3rd Author
- Degree
- MFA
- Year
- 2009
- Number of Pages
- 74
- University
- UCLA
- Thesis Supervisor
- Willem Henri Lucas, Casey Reas, Robert Winter, Mark Mothersbaugh
- Supervisor e-mail
- Other Supervisor(s)
- Language(s) of Thesis
- English
- Department / Discipline
- Design | Media Art
- Copyright Ownership
- Gil Kuno
- Languages Familiar to Author
- English, Japanese
- URL where full thesis can be found
- Keywords
- Chance Operation, Art, John Cage, Media Art, decompositions, gil kuno, sound art, entropy, chaos, noise, boredoms, eye yamatsuka, devo, haters, aphex twin, Christian Marclay, Hanatarash, Ryota Kuwakubo, Maywa Denki, Tim Hawkinson, Golan Levin, Walead Besh
- Abstract: 200-500 words
- “Decompositions” is a series of sound based artworks that use “chance” to articulate sound compositions. This thesis will discuss the philosophical background, precedents, and references for the work. I will be exploring questions such as: Why does randomness help artists to articulate? Do we have mechanisms inherent in us that act as randomizers? How is interactivity a randomizer? What are some methodologies to help use chance to the artist’s advantage? The thesis will attempt to expose the limitations of the default human creative mechanism by analyzing a music composition algorithm written by composer/programmer David Cope. This default mechanism will be compared to the thought processes of artists who suffered from mental illnesses. Most importantly, I will advocate the use of chance and randomness in order to cultivate new methods of expression – as I do in “Decompositions.”