The first technique in Amy Goodchild’s article that I found to be interesting was “true random.” She cites atmospheric noise picked up by a radio or the visual output of lava lamps as examples. I like the idea of combining “natural” and “unnatural” forces in this way to create art because it doesn’t feel like it’s being completely taken over by computers or an algorithm and still has a somewhat organic, or, as she put it, “chaotic” feel to the process.
In general, I like the idea of having a specific set of rules to follow when making an art piece because it’s similar to how I create some of my own art. For example, I often have a spark of inspiration to create something specific. Whether that something contains certain colors or a certain subject varies, and then I can still allow myself to have the room to deviate slightly from that original inspiration to create something new. I’m also a person who likes to have structure for most aspects of my life, so that may be why these techniques with rules interest me.
Some of the examples of “natural systems” that Goodchild cites are more appealing to me than others. For example, the condensation cube does not appeal to me at all artistically, due to the simple fact that it can hardly be affected by the “creator” or artist at all. The result is almost entirely out of their hands. Whereas growing art like the bacteria sculptures or paintings and drawings contain some aspects of humanity that make them more interesting and valuable for me. At the end of the day, whether any of this interests a person is entirely up to personal preferences and individual perspectives.