‘Look over here jpg’ – 2002

“Worrying too much about materials is sometimes a way of deferring responsibility. “

I’m not exclusively interested in how computers interpret data. That is just a part of it.
When I first started working on computers I wanted to know more about how the images were represented. I learned programing in machine code. It was the tool for programing small computers at the time, which was perfect for understanding how image data was stored and displayed.
Now hardware and software have become extremely sophisticated. A lot of the new stuff is mostly beyond my understanding. This is just as well as I’m no longer fixated on the inner workings. Content is the only thing of significance now.
It is a bit like a painter obsessing about the materials and construction of a brush. It is relevant but obviously not the most important element. I can’t see the tools ever becoming more important than the subject. I’ve known people obsess over materials and equipment, as if they somehow elevate the work through superior construction and presentation. Getting overly concerned about the type of expensive paper or chemicals used is not productive. The final image is altered slightly and there is a difference, but how much of the ‘improvement’ gets in the way?
Some work definitely benefits from a simple direct approach. Worrying too much about materials is sometimes a way of deferring responsibility. As in; if the work isn’t up to scratch it’s probably the materials that have let it down.
Conversely, if Leonardo had used more conventional materials some of his frescoes would have survived better.

Are cheap materials just as good? Can they be trusted?
There is something to be said for material selection I suppose but often it tends to get in the way of actually producing the work.
Sometimes you just have to let things happen.