* the edge (not him, the actual edge) 	(7/17/2005)

I think of the underlying form as something I can make from legos or
from micronauts.

Legos are each somewhat generic.  Most legos (before the Technics
line) are one color, a box with dimensions that are some multiple of
the a single unit distance, and will fit with absolutely any other
lego.  Exceptions to this generalization are rare.

Micronauts are each highly specialized.  One might be the shiny metal
head of a giant robot.  Another might be the seat to a tiny
translucent motorcycle.  Although there is a textual "right way" to
assemble individual micronaut pieces together into the giant robot,
tiny translucent motorcycle, or what-have-you, each of the parts can
be connected to almost any other part.  So you might put the giant
robot head on the front of the tiny translucent motorcycle, just to be
wierd.  Or you might use the seat from the tiny translucent motorcycle
and the torso of the giant robot to make some strange space-ship.

When I create (dinner, sound art, computer programs, conversation,
whatever), it seems to be the assembly of stuff that matches one of
these two patterns.  The desired results tend to dictate which medium
you choose.  If, inspired by eccentric mathematicians, you want to
build a self-enclosed 3D hedge maze for a ball bearing, you should
choose legos.  If you want to build a space ship that does not look
like low-resolution 2D space ship with nubs, you should choose
micronauts.  The choice is not always so simple.  What if you want to
make a sculpture to get some grief out of your system?  What if you
want to make an abstract, whimsical model of the plumbing in your
house?  A cat toy?  A desk ornament?

Ideal computer programming environments give you a wide selection of
micronaut parts to choose from, and a full compliment of legos.  You
get a means to mix legos and micronauts freely, and the ability to
make new micronaut parts from legos.

We can often see micronaut or lego style constructions if we can peer
into the underlying form.

Micronaut form gives us a hard edge to push off from.  It's an arm.
We either have to treat it like an arm, an arm out of place, or attach
it so brilliantly to the jet-engine that it not only no longer looks
like an arm, but that it is not an arm.  Lego form gives us softer
edges.  We make up the rules ourselves.  We must work to make boxes
look like arms!

I feel as though I'm reaching a point where form no longer matters,
and I can simply create without considering the edges.  The problem
is, as it has always been, that I'm not communicating successfully to
anyone but myself.