There have always been ghosts in the machine. Random segments of code, that have grouped together to form unexpected protocols. Unanticipated, these free radicals engender questions of free will, creativity, and even the nature of what we might call the soul. – Quote from I, Robot (2004)
Glitches are described as “sudden, usually temporary malfunctions or irregularities of equipment” and have been embraced and turned into art, both musically and visually, for at least the last two decades or so. What is it that lends such an aesthetically pleasing quality to electronic error? Maybe it’s the notion that computers are meant to run on pure logic, so when they produce something random or unexpected, our inborn curiosity is awoken. Or maybe we momentarily recognise our own flawed human nature, and it freaks us out just a little. Who knows!
Jennifer Daniel, designer for Bloomberg Businessweek recently reported that their Docucolor 240 conked out whist printing proofs for the magazine. The resulting artworks were posted on Flickr. I remember spending hours as a student, trying to emulate this exact look for my projects!
