UnBob, IF you´re "just pulling our leg", you´re a master puller.... ;-)
Per Öfverbeck http://foto.ofverbeck.se
2004-10-03 kl. 05.07 skrev unBob Rosen:
In my day-to-day life as a software engineer (isn't that a wanky title?) I consider myself an artist. Well, I don't actually think of myself as an artist, but I do (seriously) think of parts of my work as art. Highly functional, and rarely seen by anyone, but (to me at least) art. And this is a driving force and an inspiration in my work.
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But back to my assertion that I produce art while writing software…
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The first is readability. Surprise! Software is written for *people* to read -- not computers. Code that is laid out well, has routines placed where you expect them to be, has unobtrusive but helpful (and even humourous) comments make the task of understanding and working with it a pleasure. In photographic terms, I guess it's a bit like exposure. Sure you can work with under or overexposed negs, but correct exposure makes your work *so* much easier.
The second is design. At least as much work goes into design of software as does the "cutting of the code". Evidence of good design is a whole lot like composition. Does the meaning flow from the image? Do the data structures allow the code to flow smoothly? Do I understand the meaning without having to refer to notes or an artist’s statement?
The third is error handling. Is the nature of the program such that errors are trapped and handled? Does the program degrade gracefully? Is there a freedom from distracting elements in the image?
The fourth is elegance. Is the code simple, clean, and logical? Does it do exactly what it has to do without algorithmic gymnastics? Is it focused? Is it minimalist? Does it concentrate on the essential elements without distraction? Do I look at it and think – that’s so simple, why didn’t I think of that?
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However I think that as artists (please let me call myself one for a moment) we work to express ourselves and (probably) to please ourselves using the materials and the skills that we have.
In the end, it's up to the viewer to get something from the created work. If there is a viewer who can do that, then there is art.
Can photographers do that? Yes Can painters do that? Yes Can a humble computer programmer do that?
Or am I just pulling your leg?
Best (completely) UnBob
