L'art Génératif. Complements to the book text.
Return to summmary. See Index

1.5. The Industrial Period

Chemistry, Electricity, Theoretical advances

1.5.1. New technological and theoretical resources

Chemistry

Chemistry is a powerful example and forerunner or digitization. The old Greek atomism is regenerated, supported by serious experimental science, and productive of new kinds of beings. We know better how matter is composed of fragments, and how to assemble these fragments in all sorts of useful products.

See (among many one, but these 1950's books give a good feeling of it :
< Les méthodes semi-micro dans l'analyse organo-quantitative. by R. Belcher and A.L. Gobert. Dunod 1951. It shows how do measure the proportions of different atomic components (atoms and functional groups).
< Les produits de la synthèse organique. by Jacques Lenoir. Presses Documentaires, Paris 1951. It shows the diversity of applications : pigments, perfumes, medicaments, plastics, explosives, photographic products, solvants, plastifiers, fuels, tannins, auxiliary products for fabrics and rubbers, anti-paratisic fight.

Bergson writes about Matter and Memory and about Time, but more directly oriented to art : Le rire (rather structdural approach) and various notes about Cinema, afterwards developped by Deleuze.
Tatlin
Gabo
Rodchenko
Duchamp
Man Ray
Robida
Jules Verne
Estelle Thibault
Charles Blanc

1.5.2. Writing

The rotary press and typographic machines (Linotype, Monotype) multiply the generative power of text.
Saussure
James Joyce

1.5.3. Music

- Chopin shows the possibilitis a an instrument, the piano.
Wagner
Schoenberg

1.5.4. Painting, photography, cinema

Hugh Blackburn invents the Harmonograph, probably the first generative image device. See a note by Karl Sims, and a comment, with simulation, by François Bouzereau.

Delacroix takes part in debates about photography.
Chevreul
Oscar Rejlander
Plateau
Bergson
Seurat
Picasso
Viollet-le-Duc

1.5.5. Architecture

1.5.6. Wagner and the "total art"

See Wagner in diccan, and specially his "The Art-Work of the Future", online on Belgacom.