emergence and the field

As a response to some of the comments made from my earlier post, here's a further look into the idea of "the field" (wuks might find it helpful to work with in conjunction with the idea of emergence).

In the past physicians identified space as ether defined as "an all-pervading, infinitely elastic, massless medium postulated as the medium of propagation of electromagnetic waves". It explained gravity and inertia. But this cartesian substratum-and-ether theory was soon dismissed.

Many years later, Sanford Kwinter proposed that the "notion of 'the field' expresses the complete immanence of forces and events...[and] describes a space of propagation, of effects.".

Stan Allen wrote an article titled "From Object to Field" in which he suggested that "form matters, but not so much the form of things as the form between things". A field condition is one that has elements connected locally in a porous spatial matrix. Like minimalism, the emphasis here is the manner of construction dealing with the spatial field between "the viewer and object". Post minimalism brought back the extrinsic stuff that minimalism thought unnecessary and it brought the idea of "the field" forward by introducing "chance and contingency" into the work. Hence, when dealing with "the field" the process of making is a key issue. Allen of course suggested this as a concept to work with that does not directly influence form and composition.

This is a grossly (pun intended) summarised account of Stan Allen's "From Object to Field". Those interested to read the entire article let me know ya.

I see a link between this idea and the idea of emergence. If construction is looked upon as a "sequence of event; a response of fluidity and sensitivity to local events and differences" as suggested by Allen, and "the goal of emergence when applied to architecture is to construct structures that have evolved through a process of mophogenesis" as suggested by Castle, then is it clear one is the means to the other.

Iannis Xenakis, architectually trained Romanian musician and mathematician, created music that were unrestricted by music vocabulary and included a space entity into the whole experience. Believe me, its really quite an experience listening to his stuff. His music encompasses "acoustical elements that cannot be broken down into their constituent elements" and were composed based on desired "field" of sound effects.

Partly trained architect, artist Barry Le Va's works also evolved around the idea of "the field". They involve a random process with end object clearly distinct from its field it occupies. Its control lie in a series of "intricate local rules for combination...not as an overall formal configuration".

Alan Saret is also another artist who uses fencing wire as they are "malleable, indeterminate, insubstantial, suitable for casual composition, temporial and unimposing".

This is the research part I have to do for my next studio. Anyone knows of anything related please share with me! We are going to the zoo next studio! Shall post up pictures after.. promise.