9(invention)

Itcanbesaidthatyouareaninventor.(e.g.installations,instrumentsand
devicesforperformance,andweheardthatyouinventedmanydevicesfor
MrAshley.)Couldyougivesomeaboutthis?Doyouthinkwhatisthe
meaningofinventioninartandscience?
Mypiecesdeal,inpart,withthewaytechnologiesmediatetherelationship
ofpeopletotheirmemoriesandtoquestionthesituationoftechnologyin
ourlives,themythosoftechnologyThefactthatIusetechnologyitselfto
delineatethesethemesmeansthatImustdevelopalternateorsometimes
"impossible"technologies.Withoutoverlystressingtheapparent
impossibilityofmakingahologramofarecordplaythemusicinthe
record'sgroove,ormakingaclaypotrecordingofavoice,ormakinga
bathtubmakemusic,Imustadmitthemanyofthetechnologiesinmypieces
didnotexistwhenIsetouttomakethem.Ihavehadtoinventthem.Itisan
importantrequisiteofmyartthatthepiecesactuallywork.Iwouldn'tbe
comfortablewithapiecethatcreatedanillusionbyconventionalmeans.For
metherealillusionsaretheonesthatstillmystifyevenwhenthetechnology
isrevealedandexplained.NorwouldIbesatisfiediftheworksstopped
there.Therearemanyotherculturalandpersonalthemeswovenintothem.
10(scienceandart)
Couldyougivesomegeneralthoughtsabouttherelationsorinteractionsof
scienceandart?
Beforethe19thcenturysciencehadverylittleimpactonlifeandculture.
Ourcultures'mythsofcreationandoriginhowtheworldcametobeand
wherewecamefromwerebasedonancientlegendsaboutheroesand
gods.Duringthecourseofthelast200yearsthesemythshavebeen
replacedbynewonescreatedbysciencetheBigBang,evolution,DNA.
Artisaresponsetobeliefandactsasaconsolidatingforcewithinculture.It
givesplace,time,imageandsoundtomyths.Butthemythsofscienceare
notcontenttoberepresentedbypicture,poemsandsymphonies.The
scientificrevolutionthrewawaytheideathatthingswereconnectedby
appearancesandreplaceditwiththeideathatthingsareconnectedbyhow
theywork.Thustheartist'sroleistoanimatewiththeimaginationtheway
thingswork.

Germanetomyownwork,however,adiscussionoftherelationof
technologyandartisalsointeresting.Ithinkoftechnologyashavingadual
being.Itissimultaneouslyadream,orproductofourdreams,andthe
mediuminwhichourdreamsareexchangedandelaborated.Bythefirst
part,ImeantosaythatIthinkoftechnologyasameetinggroundwhereour
dreamswhatweimagineorwouldwanttobemeetthedaylightrealmof
thephysicalworld.Thatis,theyencounterandarebornintothelawsof
physics.Toextendthemetaphor,aseashoreonwhichthedreamsthatsurge
withintheoceanofourhumanimaginationaretossedupontheshoreof
hardphysicalfunctionality.Thesecondpartiseasiertosaybecauseithas
beensaidbeforethattechnologyisalsotheexchangemediumofour
dreamsthemovies,T.V.,etc.Muchhasbeensaidaboutthevastpowerfor
abuseofthisaspectthe"rulingtaste"sotospeak.
Todisentanglethesetwofunctionsoftechnologyisdifficult.Onecould,of
course,standasideandtakeanantitechnologicalapproach.Ihavechosen
whatisperhapsamoredifficultpathtousetechnologyitselftoexpress
andinvestigatethisdilemma.Itrytodothisbystandingtechnologyonits
head.Exploringalternativetechnologies,usingphysicalprinciplesthathave
notfoundanyplaceinthedominanttechnology,reconnectingthedream
andthemechanism.Thus,phonographrecordingsinhologramsandclay
pots;musicmadebystrokingelectrifiedbathtubs.Stoodontheirheads,the
technologiesrevealabsurdaspectsinthemannerofpataphysicsorbachelor
machines,butinasmuchasmypiecesactuallyfunction,theyalsoreveal
somepartoftheoriginalthedreamthatliesbeneaththetechnology.
Partofmyexaminationconcernsthesiteofagiventechnologyit'splacein
thedomesticscene,workplaceorsomeexoticsite.Forexample,does
telecommunicationtechnologybelongintheparlororthebathroom?
AlexanderGrahamBellthoughttheformer,ElishaGraythelatter.Do
electricwiresandwaterpipesbelongtogether?Bigquestions.
Thepromiseoftechnologyenablingustobeconsciousmastersofour
experience,overlordsofthematerialworldislongpast.Wehavemorethe
impressionofbeingswallowedbyourowndoing.We'renowsodeepinto
thisdreamit'sallenveloping.Itgeneratesandmediatesoureverynext
step.Forexample,werelyonsatellitedataandbroadcastforumstomake
decisionsonraindeforestationandozonedepletioncausedbyour
technologies.Thereisnowayout,butwearehopefullycapableofan
occasionallucidmomentwithinourdreamwherewecansavorandmarvel
atthewholeprocessevenaswearesweptawaybyit,thatbeingthenature
ofourexperience.