C O N S ID E R IN G .
..
M aybe the p o in t is tha t exploitation o fth e random fin d s greatest
m eaning when it establishes a rhythm w ith the inten tiona l;
tha t the unexpected, Changeable, instantaneous can be fo ld e d
into the ca lcu la ted a n d deliberate.
R o m a n c i n g
f h e R a n d o m
ESSAY BY
A k ik o B u sch
R a n d o m n ess is in fa v o r. C h a tro u le tte p r o -
vid e s an arena fo r w e b ca m co n versatio n s
w ith ran d o m p a rtic ip a n ts,
c n n ’ s
re g u la r
se g m e n t R a n d o m M o m e n t o f th e D a y
re fle cts on such o ccu rren ce s as a te en ag e
g irl’s d ress fa b rica te d w ith C a p ri S u n p a c k -
agin g, ice b illiard s p la y e d in a sw im m in g
p o o l in C e n tra l T e x a s , and an iP h o n e app
th at d e liv e rs c o n te n t d ire c tly fro m th e
W h it e H o u s e , th e id ea b e in g th a t su ch
d isco n n e cte d ep iso d es o f e v e ry d a y life
sp ea k to b ro a d e r so cietal issues and va lu es.
F la r f is to u te d as an a va n t-g ard e p o e tic
fo rm d e riv e d fro m th e ran d om w o rd asso -
ciatio n s th at can b e fo rg e d o n lin e. A n d
in th e m u sic in d u stry , re c o rd in g artists are
le ss lik e ly to b e as d e lib e ra te as th e y o n ce
w e r e in arran g in g th e se q u e n c e o f so n g s—
b o th th e ran d o m sh u ffle and d o w n lo a d /
p u rch ase o f in d iv id u a l so n gs are lik e ly to
m ake su ch in ten tio n al arran gem en ts irrel-
e v a n t and passé.
I t’ s h ard to k n o w ju s t w h e r e th is n e w
fo n d n e ss fo r th e ran d om has co m e fro m ,
b u t c e r ta in ly w e seem s ta rv e d fo r su rp rise
and im p ro visa tio n . S o m e w h e re b e tw e e n
th e a c c e le ra tio n o f c o n te m p o ra ry life , th e
p re cisio n o f co m m u n icatio n s te c h n o lo g y
and th e o v e rall e ffic ie n c y o f th e d igital age,
w e seem to h a ve d e v e lo p e d an a p p e tite
fo r th e h a p h a za rd . In th e age o f in fo rm a -
tio n , w h e n it ta k e s an in stan t to G o o g le
a n am e o r d a te , a m in u te to d o w n lo a d an
e n tire b o o k , w e te n d to o p e ra te on th e
p rem ise th at life is k n o w a b le .
A g r o w in g ta ste fo r th e u n p red ictab le
seem s a natural resp o n se , th en . N o su rp rise
th at th e w o r d “ ran d om ” has g o n e fro m b e -
in g a n eu tral a d je ctiv e d e scrib in g th e u n e x -
p e c te d and h a p p e n sta n c e to o n e lo a d e d
w ith m o re p o s itiv e a sso c ia tio n s h a v in g to
d o w ith u n scrip ted a u th e n ticity . Im p licit
is th e id e a th a t c o n v e rs a tio n s , e v e n ts and
en co u n ters th at o c c u r w ith o u t d esign w ill
h a ve ge n u in e valu e and an alm o st ce rta in ly
re w a rd in g o u tco m e .
A ll o f w h ic h su g g ests w e m igh t lo o k
at th o se lin es o f w o r k th a t o ffe r a g e n u in e
e x p e rtis e in it. R a n d o m n e ss can b e c o m -
p le x , in te re stin g , b e a u tifu l. O r it can b e
n o n e o f th e se . U n p re d icta b ility can b e ju st
as dull as p re d ic ta b ility . T h e in e x p lica b le
and accid en tal h a ve a lw a y s h eld th e hum an
im ag in a tio n , b u t th e o fte n u n critica l w a y
w e ro m an ce th e ran d om n o w m akes m e
w a n t to search o u t th o se e n te rp rise s w ith
a g e n u in e lite r a c y to th em : e c o n o m ists
w h o re c o g n ize th e in e v ita b ility o f random
va riab le s in th e an alysis o f finan cial m ar-
k e ts, fo r e x a m p le , o r farm ers w h o re a lize
th at n atu re ’ s ro g u e sid e is as essen tial to
acco m m o d ate as its m ore p red icta b le c y cle s
o f seaso n and clim ate.
A n d , o f co u rse, artists w h o s e w o r k , b y
n a tu re , o fte n d em an d s th a t th e y at o n ce
re sp e c t and r e je c t ran d om o c c u rre n ce s.
W h e th e r it is w h a t h a p p en s in th e fire o f
th e k iln o r th e o c c lu sio n s sh a p e d b y w e a th -
er and tim e in a p ie ce o f w o o d , c ra ft has
a lw a y s n e g o tia te d b e tw e e n th e b rillia n ce
and th e b a n a lity o f ran dom e v e n ts. F o r
L o w e r y S im s, a cu rato r at th e M u seu m o f
A r ts and D e sig n in N e w Y o rk C it y , th e
v e r y w o r d “ ran d om ” im plies “ sp o n tan eity
058 american craft oct/nov 10
Photo © Andy Goldsworthy, courtesy of Galerie Lelong, New York.
