For this reading assignment I choose to read a part of Information Arts: Intersections of Art, Science and technology. I read part 4.1 Research agendas in mathematics and artificial life, more specific “Why is mathematics a Part of a Book on Science , Technology and Art ”.
The text begins with mentioning some similarities between mathematics and art as that they both try to find an understanding and through the understanding uncover the underlaying structures, processes and relationships. Further does the text bring up the connection between mathematics and science it does also conclude that they are not the same. Mathematics does however help science and they are an important adjunct to the physical sciences and technology. I would want to add that I think thereby that mathematics and art also can be adjunct. One quote strengthening this argument is “mathematicians, like artists, have the opportunity to dream up arbitrary worlds with their own internally consistent rules unfettered by connections with the conventional world”(p.298)
Furthermore does the text take up the evolving of mathematics and that huge part the computer plays in that aspect. It is then they come to talk about artificial intelligence. They talk about the interest artificial life has for both mathematicians and artists. As it says in the text “Artificial Life and genetic algorithms research has drawn much scientific and artistic attention. Artists are intrigued by the challenge to create artificial life-forms that simulate the behaviors of biological life or that evolve and self-propagate as a result of experience.”(p.305)
The text ends with how artificial intelligence is available as a cross-platform for both art and science for restoration by structure a consciousness about assumptions that shape the perception.
Personally I do think the text goes from mathematics and art to science and art real fast even though they said that they were not the same. However do I feel that mathematics is key part for science, as they also determine in the text. Also does science lay the foundation for plenty of art. When we talk about artificial intelligence does computer science heavily influence the artist. Without the computer science wouldn’t interactive art that consists of artificial intelligence exist.
Even though the text is written in 2002 do I feel that it is still relevant and I am not alone in this. Later texts about the subject agrees with me as well. For example Tabitha Goldstaub write for Forbs in 2018 about art and AI, where she interviewed artist there among Anna Ridler that said and I quote “When I work with technology, I’m never interested in making work about technology for its own sake, but rather how I can use technology as a tool to talk about other things – memory, love, decay – or to augment or change the story in a way in that otherwise would not happen.” This phrase says me that what Stephan Wilson wrote in 2002 is still as relevant today. When artist view technology as a tool that they need to have in order to do work that otherwise never would have happened. The same year IBM writes that when we began to use AI to create art by using style transfer which uses deep neural networks. It does also say that it you do not need any artistic or coding experience to be able to do this. This may be true. But it is important to know that for being able to do anything with artificial intelligence in an art piece you may not need to be able to do coding but someone that was able to code made that possible for you.