Creativity and Complexity
From COSNet
I have discussed this work with a number of COSNet researchers over the last couple of years and in particular Bob Dewar suggested that I start a page on this area. My particular focus has been on music composition and complex systems but in broader terms I refer to this research area as Creativity & Complexity.
Creativity & Complexity : An Open Research Statement
David Burraston
The research I pursue investigates the interaction of complex systems with creativity, through the use of both cellular automata (CA) and nature as mediums for music composition. The aims of this research are :
1) specific extensions of research on CA rule space structure
2) fundamental links between complex systems and creative practice
3) unifying research in creativity and complex systems through combined musical and scientific instruments
The contributions of this work are twofold resulting in both the production of new musical works and novel complex systems research. The scientific results of my work to date have been a fundamentally different approach to CA rule space structure, by discovery of a correlation with state space attractor basins. CA can effectively structure and self organise rule space using their own state space dynamics. The entire rule space can be contained within a deterministic navigable graph structure. Musical compositions have benefited greatly from this insight also, creating a cross influencing methodology for the research. My PhD has served as a foundation model, with key aspects of my methodology based on reflective practice / reflection-in-action, music composition and CA theory. This approach enabled the work to have broad appeal to both artist and scientist, by focusing on a central common problem. Since submitting my thesis in March 2006 I have self financed and independently investigated my results further. Also, through my involvement with the WIRED Lab (initially funded by Australia Council for the Arts), extending this work to interesting new directions with the inclusion of nature as a compositional medium.
1) SPECIFIC EXTENSIONS OF RESEARCH ON CA RULE SPACE STRUCTURE
The applicability of self organisation in other CA rule spaces, as well as architectures of intermediate and random Boolean networks, is an important step to broaden the scope of this research. Brief examinations in my thesis of 5 to 13 neighbour rule spaces of binary one dimensional CA demonstrated that highly chaotic peaks occur in bands/regimes at specific locations, and ordered routes with smaller chaotic peaks exist. This intriguing result shows that the structure is fundamental and non trivial, both in elementary and higher neighbourhood rule spaces. A deeper, comparative investigation of attractor basin / state transition graph structuring of the elementary and larger neighbour rule spaces is now required to find out whether this feature is universal. Key to this is expanding the investigation of other CA rule spaces (higher dimensions, states and neighbours) to obtain further empirical results. For a brief introduction see the paper : Burraston, D. (2007) Fundamental Insights on Complex Systems arising from Generative Arts Practice. Leonardo Vol 40 (4) pp372-3 available as PDF from the research page at my website -> LeoTransPaper & to dig even deeper see my PhD thesis & associated data on the Noyzelab research page
Animated gif traversing through part of the five neighbour rule space (attractor basin view). Total possible rules = 3.402823669209385e+38
2) FUNDAMENTAL LINKS BETWEEN COMPLEX SYSTEMS AND CREATIVE PRACTICE
My thesis work also demonstrated how particular CA rules are emulations of fundamental electronic music technologies. These exemplars provide a solid link between electronic music technology and CA theory. A Rosetta Stone description of CA and music would be of tremendous value in broadening and further strengthening links between complex systems and music in general. For example, the basic transformations of a musical passage (e.g. retrograde, inversion and retrograde inversion) have direct a comparison with equivalence class transformations in CA. A set of exemplars based on the equivalence classes would enable further fundamental links between CA and music. More broadly though, how many basic exemplars can be discovered to give familiar points of reference for both artist and scientist interested in complex systems? How can this approach be extended further to encompass connections between creative practice (e.g. painting, time based art, sculpture) and complex systems in general?
Example : We can see that all patterns of elementary rule 170 & 240 are shifted by looking at an example of the basin field view for an 8 cell system. The attractor cycles show that all the shifted patterns are located within the same attractor cycle. The most basic electronic music trigger sequencer is equivalent to the cycle containing just a single active cell. A more advanced trigger sequencer allows for each stage (cell) to be active or inactive, equivalent to the remaining basins.
3) UNIFYING RESEARCH IN CREATIVITY AND COMPLEX SYSTEMS THROUGH COMBINED MUSICAL AND SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS
I am unifying my research into creativity and complex systems through two unique musical instruments using the mediums of i) CA dynamics using my prototype instrument Ulamizer-II, and ii) natures dynamics using Alan Lamb’s long wire instruments. These instruments have a unifying context; as musical instrument in the sense that they both may be used for composition / performance, and as scientific instrument as they both may be used for the purposes of research.
Ulamizer-II CA instrument : Since early 2007 I have been independently developing my own prototype CA instrument called the Ulamizer-II. The prototype uses very low power state of the art parallel processing hardware and functions as a completely stand alone device. As demonstrated in my thesis a number of electronic music technologies have identical behaviours to well known CA, providing a fundamental link between the fields with familiar points of reference for both artist and scientist. CA clearly show great potential in music, taking the composer from the familiar to the exotic, by simply changing the rule. A musical instrument based on CA is capable of simplifying the technological requirements of existing and future electronic instruments. This has great potential for music, sound and other media technologies of the future. In addition to musical aspects Ulamizer-II is intended for realtime investigation/navigation of CA rule space and associated dynamics, where there is a clear potential for further discoveries and application to other artistic projects.
Ulamizer-II instrument prototype at Noyzelab
Close-up of Ulamizer-II processor development board (left) and MIDI interface (right)
Long wire instrument : Since November 2006 I have extended my research into real world complex systems, focusing on long wire instruments (known as The Wires) with their inventor Dr Alan Lamb (Neurobiologist and General Practitioner). Although designed for the purpose of creativity this essentially simple physical construction exhibits a wide range of natural dynamic behaviour. Whilst having a deep connection with nature The Wires are not of a domestic scale, they are installations spanning large expanses of rural landscape between 80 metres to over a kilometre. Lamb’s use of the phrase The Wires references highly tensioned spans of fencing wire, the primary material used to construct the instrument. Over the last 30 years Lamb’s work with The Wires has uncovered that it is not only wind that ‘plays’ the instrument (by Aeolian vibration). Of their own accord The Wires often harmonically ‘sing’, vibrate or roar as they react to environmental factors such as barometric air pressure, temperature, seismic vibration, animals (e.g. insects, birds, cattle, people). The Wires are a unique form of instrumentation, allowing artists to work directly with the complexities of nature as a creative medium. The long wire instrument is an example of a real world complex system, which provides a unique opportunity for collaborative arts practice and scientific research. The Wires therefore have great potential for a central goal in science; discovering and understanding the organisation and patterns of the natural world. The study of the vibrating string since the Pythagorean monochord had lasting impact on both the arts and sciences. Similarly, the long wire instrument has the potential to impact complex systems as a natural system of study. It is relatively simple to construct, is made from extremely basic components, each permanent installation has a life span of about 15 years, and provides an immense variety of self organising dynamic behaviours originated by nature.
Small section of a 450m long wire instrument at WIRED Lab
Alan Lamb listening to some of my pick-ups at WIRED Lab residency Nov 2008
References
Two research papers have been accepted for publication:
Burraston, D. (2012) ‘Rainwire: Environmental Sonification of Rainfall’, Leonardo, MIT Press, (forthcoming) pre-publication PDF @ Leonardo website : [1]
Burraston, D. (2011) Creativity, Complexity and Reflective Practice, In Candy, L. and Edmonds, E. eds. Interacting: Art, Research and the Creative Practitioner, Libri Publishing Ltd. Oxford.
Webpage for the book:
http://www.libripublishing.co.uk/art-and-design/interacting
Please also see my website Noyzelab for more papers (including my PhD thesis) music etc.
Ulamizer-II has a couple of web pages : Ulamizer-II & Ulamizer-II Trigger Sequencer examples
WIRED Lab also have a website : [2] & social networking site for the long wire instrument : [3]
