Thanks Dan…
more questions arise…
a) What do you mean by efficient? How can the passing of the socks become mathematically more efficient if we are in practical terms, just posting a sock?
b) Graph theory – If the maths comes first, do we end up with a sort of paint-by-numbers sock swap? Is sock-swap-by-numbers still art?
c) Quantitative value – we should take measurements?
i. Weight of sock before and after each posting/alteration?
ii. weight of packaging?
iii. how long can we use the same jiffy bag?
iv. length/width of sock before/after?
v. cost of postage?
Do the quantities measured affect/reflect the qualitative value of the sock
e
Thing about having a full time job is that it rather limits your post writing time
So, how does the maths work with all this arty stuff. The description of the project passing work round to various people put me in mind of some basic graph theory where each person is a node in a network. This provides a visual representation of information moving through the network, in this case the socks being passed between people and formalises the manifoes discussed below.
This opened up a couple of interesting things I thought.
a) Is there an “efficient” way to pass the sock? As written the manifesto is incredibly inefficient, a “greedy algorithm,” as the sock must pass through E or S each time. This isn’t a problem but it posed limitations to the model. It leads to a “Travelling Salesman” type problem, whats quite nice is that this can never be solved, you just get different approaches which can change with each addition to the network.
b) Graph theory supposes that the meaning of something complex can be understood if we understand its individual parts and the links between them, something called Compositionality. I wondered then if this meant the socks could be understood in the same way. If you know the artists involved and the links between them could you in some way “predict” the final form of the sock? Can all art be reduced in this way?
c) If we direct the graph, and look at information sources and sinks this adds another interest. Mathematically to do this each step needs a quantitative value. How does this work artistically? How can value be attributed? If the sock is being posted does the price of postage work?
Anyway, some thoughts…
Ultimately, how does the maths affect the art, and the art affect the maths?
Dan
Dear e
Thank you for your infinite patience in awaiting the first installment of MULTICOLOURED SOCK SWAP. I know you appreciate that Sock Surgery cannot be hurried.
I am sending you sock B. I hope you like it. I have asked Dan to rationalise the rationale behind it.
I will forward sock A to my friend Lisa who I know will make good use of it…..
s
AAaghh hampered by sock insecurities, big maths and global concepts.
I need to get a grip, they are ONLY socks….
s
HERE WE GO!
Dear e
Thank you very much for the two beautiful pristine socks I received yesterday in the post.
I hope I am worthy of the task before me…..
s
