|
All
matter existing in the universe is generated by a few simple elements
– protons, electrons and
neutrons. The incredible variety of the universe is in striking
contrast with the small number of basic “building bricks”. All
natural phenomena – a stone falling or the spontaneous propagation of
heat – take place in a well-defined way merely because it is the most
likely. It is a general rule of bewildering simplicity. Darwin developed
a law to explain the evolution of the species that is still surprising
in its simplicity. Random variations in our genetic heritage assert
themselves because “they are more likely to be transmitted by heredity”.
This explains the infinite variety of living creatures that populate the
earth.
So what about informatics? It is fundamentally based on the use of two
“symbols”, the figure zero
and one. How incredible it is
that these two simple elements have given rise to such a staggering
amount of know-how and technology!
And in the
field of psychology, too, there appears to be a limited number of
fundamental impulses at the base of all behaviour. I am fascinated and
tempted by the conclusion that nature is governed by extremely simple
laws, at least when compared to the endless ways in which it manifests
itself.
The
philosophy behind my current research springs precisely from these
reflections.
In what and how many ways can a sculpture be obtained from a slab using
simple indications and elements?
It
is clear that my scientific training has had a profound effect on my
formation of ideas and aesthetic inventiveness, but artistic intuition
springs only from an exiting blend of rationality and emotion.
January 1991
Guido
Moretti |
