01.02.06 System for Multiple Compositions on a Theme.
The combines, from Duchamp to Raushenberg, have always been an inspirational form of expression for audio visual digital art. However the word 'composition' has different meanings: it is the combining of distinct parts or elements to form a whole; it is the art or act of composing a musical or literary work; it is also a synonym of short essay. With "http://www.asquare.org/project/composition_system/" 'System for Multiple Compositions on a Theme' Garrett Lynch (aka asquare.org) tries to synthesize all these meanings in one project. The artwork is a series of videos shot and edited on analog equipment in 1995 for the sole purpose of experimenting with editing video to create audio compositions. After ten years the shot material has been re-presented on the web using an interface that allow users to take part in the composition choosing among 9x9 options for combining the available clips. Repetition and dislocation, made easy by javascript, are the tools to experiment non linear narration and author-users interaction. However video leads audio on the web. And this is a weak point of the project because keeping an inverted relation would have been an original element in an artwork that, even if inspired by artists like Peter Horvath or Christan Marclay, doesn't have the same innovative value.
Valentina Culatti