Synthesizing fields: Art, complexism and the space beyond now

E-ISSN： 1758-9533|14|1-2|83-93

ISSN： 1758-9533

Source： Technoetic Arts, Vol.14, Iss.1-2, 2016-06, pp. : 83-93

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Abstract

The attributes that characterize the compelling world-view of Philip Galanter’s Complexism constitute a rich array that spans complexity theory, biological systems, cybernetics, computation and the phenomenology of affect. An ever-growing movement of transdisciplinary artists who engage and synthesize the unique combination of fields, theories and practices associated with Complexism suggests that this model – particularly its embrace of complexity theory – holds promise in the problem space of art and science. This article examines three contemporary artists and their collaborative teams, each of whose work embodies a unique attitude and synthesizing model that expresses the ethos of Complexism. Their work arguably contributes to a higher synthesis of modernism and postmodernism and the coalescence of art and science through the progression of ideas that emerge from this union in direct correspondence to the larger culture. Furthermore, they do so through the embrace of evolutionary and generative processes, connectionist networks, and participatory practices that engender new discourse about contemporary life, moving us beyond the space of postmodernity.