Brian Eno

[Richard Dawkins]

If any of our readers have access to Brian Eno fan sites, you might like to call attention to the on stage conversation that I am to have with him at the Oxford Playhouse on Friday 4th September at 5 pm.
http://www.oxfordplayhouse.com/show/?eventid=1157

I think Brian Eno is one of the most interesting men I have ever met: musician, musical arranger and producer, and abstract artist, he also has a deeply informed interest in science. In that respect, he fills part of the gap left by the death of that other great polymath, Douglas Adams.

Lalla and I had lunch with Brian a couple of days ago to plan the event, and it was a rivetingly interesting conversation, mostly about science and art and the connection between them. I have been fascinated by his "77 million paintings". See, for example http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRkNrWp6tLg and look at the first few Comments on that Youtube film:-
"This wonderful man is WAY BEYOND creativity..and off into another world! Look who he has worked with...U2, Talking Heads, Coldplay! And now these beautiful paintings..I can't wait to hear his talk- in Sept. it must be a mind-expander for sure!"

"Brian Eno is always cutting edge. Fantastic! Is there a software program available for artists like me, who want to create their own generative art?"

"Eno's art has been, and always will be, ahead of his time."

"As someone who has worked in both music and art, I find this piece of Eno's work to be mazing and very humbling. Very impressive."

"Brilliant, as usual."

"Incredibly interesting piece."

"wow.... when will it come to our homes??"


I am also fascinated by Brian's whole concept of 'generative art', which seems to me (and to him) to have affinities with my 'computer biomorphs'. He also applies 'generative art' to musical composition, as you can hear in his 'Bloom' App for the iPhone, which allows you to compose your own music.

Earlier this year, Brian mesmerized Australian art-lovers by projecting pictures generated by his "77 million paintings" software, onto the outside of the famous roof of the Sydney Opera House. Can you imagine it?

I don't know how I am going to keep up with him on stage at the Oxford Playhouse. One thing is for sure. It will be utterly different from any other recorded or broadcast or on-stage conversation you have ever heard me have. A welcome change from the 'same old same old' interviews. Brian is a staunch atheist, but we'll probably be too busy with other stuff to even mention that.

Richard

[Satine]

I've just had a sneaky look at the YouTube you linked to, albeit without sound. His artwork has a wonderful organic, effortless quality to it. Top stuff!

Good luck keeping him on track at the interview!

[hackenslash]

As a musician and producer, I have long been an admirer of Eno. I wish I could attend, as it will almost certainly be a real blast. Have a good time.

[OzzyBob]

Earlier this year, Brian mesmerized Australian art-lovers by projecting pictures generated by his "77 million paintings" software, onto the outside of the famous roof of the Sydney Opera House. Can you imagine it?

Had the pleasure to see the display Richard. I can safely say (now that I am aware that he is an atheist), that I was there when Eno influenced those who witnessed his images on the outside of the Opera House and, barring any unfortunate incident or cessation of brain activity in the meantime, I'll also be in the Opera House to listen to Christoher Hitchens influence those on the inside!

[stijndeloose]

Wish I could be there!

Brian Eno's mother's from my hometown, which makes him... half Belgian! Yeah!

S.

[kiki5711]

It sounds like it will be a very interesting and fun lighthearted conversation. Enjoy!!

[Ironclad]

I shall look forward to the 4th, big fan!

[Shrunk]

On a purely cerebral level, I think hero worship is childish. But, on a practical level, the idea of RD and Brian Eno on stage at the same time makes me swoon. I wish I could be there. Surely someone will film it, though, right?

[hackenslash]

On a purely cerebral level, I think hero worship is childish. But, on a practical level, the idea of RD and Brian Eno on stage at the same time makes me swoon. I wish I could be there. Surely someone will film it, though, right?

I knew there was a question I had missed.

[vakibs]

Generative art (through random permutations) is not art. There is no artistic element here that the computer is bringing in to the process of art-creation. The right test of understanding whether an algorithm is smart enough for generating a piece of "artistic" value is by using its methodology to analyze a piece of art and find its similar components.

No computer algorithm exists that can take a piece of music / art, sift through a database and produce the art-piece that is closest to it in an "artistic" point of view. For example, producing a piece of music that is similar in "genre" or style to a given piece of melody. This problem can be solved if (a) there is a fixed number of categories / styles that are present in the database (b) sufficient training data exists for each of these categories (c) the testing data is sufficiently close to the training data. No computer algorithm exists to solve this problem of so-called content-based retrieval when these assumptions are violated. However, humans do this task quite effectively. This problem is one of the so-called hard problems of AI that are related to the concept of consciousness.

Unless this problem is cracked, a computer cannot be termed as an "artist". True, it can be a great "aid" for an artist. But it cannot yet be the creative fount of art : it is nothing better than the shuffle button (or the media visualizer) in your music player software.

[EeekiE]

I have Bloom running right now.

[paceetrate]

-snip-

I was waiting for the art snobs to arrive. So, even though nobody has said that the computer is the artist, and even though the artist is the one who programmed it to make the patterns and whatnot, it's not art because.... because.... why? Because the artist isn't sticking his fingers into it and controlling everything? At least there's effort involved here, in the form of programming. More effort than, say, hanging a blank canvas on a wall and then making up bullshit about it, which seems to qualify as art if you ask the people paying for it. *gag*

Anyway, I hope your talk gets recorded and put up on the internet somewhere, Richard. So those of us across the pond have a chance of seeing it.

[vakibs]

paceetrate
Correction. I am a computer scientist, and I don't want my profession to be given more credit than it really deserves.

[paceetrate]

paceetrate
Correction. I am a computer scientist, and I don't want my profession to be given more credit than it really deserves.

Ok, you're forgiven then. I still think though, that if you can program a computer to make something aesthetically pleasing, why not call it art? I judge art by intent and effort. Programming takes some amount of effort, and at least you're not lying to your audience. But some so-called "artists"? No effort, and lots of lying through their teeth. And inevitably, those are the ones who always go and rag on other people's art about not being "sophisticated" enough.

Yeah, I'm jaded. Can you tell?

[natselrox]

Why doesn't this feel right to me?

[paceetrate]

Why doesn't what feel right?

[EeekiE]

paceetrate
Correction. I am a computer scientist, and I don't want my profession to be given more credit than it really deserves.

And guitar maker is a carpenter. But Eno IS an artist. Perhaps he has noticed patterns and formula in himself he uses to make music and art and wants to create a software framework around these.

There's a TED talk about a Chinese girl who takes a random sequence of notes from an audience member, and then uses set patterns and methods to compose a song out of it.

Maybe it's just something like this?

[kiki5711]

paceetrate
Correction. I am a computer scientist, and I don't want my profession to be given more credit than it really deserves.

Ok, you're forgiven then. I still think though, that if you can program a computer to make something aesthetically pleasing, why not call it art? I judge art by intent and effort. Programming takes some amount of effort, and at least you're not lying to your audience. But some so-called "artists"? No effort, and lots of lying through their teeth. And inevitably, those are the ones who always go and rag on other people's art about not being "sophisticated" enough.

Yeah, I'm jaded. Can you tell?

you can call anything art if you wish!!! filthy shoes on desperate child; clouds of dust that are chocking us to death,,,,,etc.....It depends on your mood and taste at the moment and life is all about perception of the moment we live in.

[seals]

On a purely cerebral level, I think hero worship is childish. But, on a practical level, the idea of RD and Brian Eno on stage at the same time makes me swoon. I wish I could be there. Surely someone will film it, though, right?

I knew there was a question I had missed.

I hope so too... this has jogged my memory. I used to have some of Brian Eno's records in my schooldays.... On some faraway beach was my favourite track in hindsight, in fact I'm just listening to Here come the warm jets for the first time in approx 30+ years! Sounds as fresh as ever.

Anyway what "same old same old" interviews? Some of us haven't gotten to one yet

[martynmcfarquhar]

Just booked my tickets, looking forward to the 4th now, see you there Richard

[DeProfundis]

Will there be any recordings of this event? I hope so...

[MrStray]

Professor Dawkins, I believe this is as close to God as you will ever get.

[Shrunk]

I hope so too... this has jogged my memory. I used to have some of Brian Eno's records in my schooldays.... On some faraway beach was my favourite track in hindsight, in fact I'm just listening to Here come the warm jets for the first time in approx 30+ years! Sounds as fresh as ever.

Absolutely agreed. To me, those first four solo records (Here Come the Warm Jets, Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy, Another Green World and Before and After Science) are some of the greatest ever made. To be honest, his musical career kind of loses me after that point, but I've remained interested in him as a thinker and theoretician.

[stijndeloose]

Absolutely agreed. To me, those first four solo records (Here Come the Warm Jets, Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy, Another Green World and Before and After Science) are some of the greatest ever made. To be honest, his musical career kind of loses me after that point, but I've remained interested in him as a thinker and theoretician.

Another Green World = !
I like his "Music for..." series as well.

S.

[natselrox]

Why doesn't what feel right?

Never mind.