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Is OUAF successful?
The
first time I saw the current
OUAF I was disappointed. I was expecting the slightly more “designed”
projects of the past. I was also unfulfilled by the lack of animation
and sparse use of sound (both of which were vital parts of previous
OUAF builds). But as I explore the website more and more, it seems
to grow on me. I start seeing order in the chaos of random organization.
I start finding interesting relationships in the fading of one impression
as the new image covers it up. I’m not surprised so many users
stay here for 30 minutes or more. Beneath the surface there is much
to explore, and knowing how the sequence is created brings an even
higher level of appreciation for the work.
So in this way I think the work is successful. He accomplishes his goal of giving users a place that offers nothing but exploration. I feel it is a valuable idea in the web design community, and Davis pulls it off better than anyone else has. I do, however, think of this website as Davis thinks of it—as something which is always changing and evolving. Therefore it’s hard to judge it alone, without considering the possibility it might have for expansion in the future. This is where I think the website has its most value.
It
feels to me like this version of OUAF is just a starting point for
something entirely new for Davis. His computer generated compositions,
working in the footsteps of the interesting A.I. designer Harold
Cohen, will continue to evolve to become a way of generating
art that is really profound. Cohen created a machine-based simulation
of the cognitive processes underlying the human act of drawing (Kurzweil).
By using the medium of Flash, Davis has an opportunity to push this
idea much further, because Flash offers the ability for user interaction.
Davis can be the creator of the laws of the program, but users could
have the option to manipulate those laws to alter the creation.
This could create some interesting layers of creative control, but
it brings up an issue: how far can he remove himself from the creation
and still remain the creator? “It is the machine that creates
the compositions,” he says, “the programs draw themselves.”
I don’t know the answer, but I fear that if he gets too disconnected,
he may be drawing the life out of his work. However, if he offers
some of that control back to the viewers in the form of interaction,
he may come up with something groundbreaking.
Conclusion
Joshua Davis spent years as a head artist at the high-profile firm
Kioken in the late 1990’s, and he currently works as a commercial
designer. However, it’s the work he’s done for himself
that defines him. Because of its experimental nature, it’s
hard to judge; it cannot be compared to most other websites. The
audience, purpose, and goals of his personal sites are different.
We may all have different interpretations of the value of his work.
There is, however, one thing that I see as key to Davis’s
success.
What sets him apart from the Flash mainstream is that he truly is an artist and a scientist. Most designers avoid the technical aspects of coding Flash, only learning the minimum necessary for their purpose. The minority who do dive deep into the world of Flash Actionscript are programmers at heart, and have little care for aesthetics. Davis manages to occupy both worlds; maintaining a unique and elegant eye for design, while pushing the limits of the code as well. In his unending examination of the laws of nature and beauty that he observes, he is advancing the medium in both directions. It is this comprehensive progress that makes Davis a role-model for Flash developers.
References
Davis, Joshua.
Flash to the Core: an interactive sketchbook
--- Praystation. ps3.praystation.com/pound/v2
--- Once Upon A Forest. once-upon-a-forest.com
Doors
of Perception. Joshua Davis.
Kurzweil
Cyber Art. Biography of Herald Cohen.
Shift.
Joshua Davis is the Best Web Developer on the Planet.
Erudition.
An Interview with Joshua Davis.
Design
Museum. Joshua Davis.
Since
1968. Joshua Davis Interview.
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