Historical Context: Automatism in Art

In the 1920s, the Surrealists, led by André Breton, experimented with "automatic writing", and drawing, aiming to liberate the creative process from the constraints of conscious control. Breton defined automatism as "psychic automatism in its pure state, by which one proposes to express… the actual functioning of thought… in the absence of any control exercised by reason, exempt from any aesthetic or moral concern.”

This idea was further developed in the work of the Abstract Expressionists, particularly Jackson Pollock. His "action painting" technique is often associated with automatism; however, Pollock did not aim for automatism in its purest form. Instead, he employed a more controlled improvisation, creating a balance between spontaneity and conscious choice.

Later, conceptual artists and members of the Fluxus movement continued to explore the role of chance and unintentionality in art.

However, the idea of automatism was never unconditionally accepted. Critics pointed out the impossibility of completely eliminating conscious control, the subjectivity of interpreting "unconscious" material, and the risk of fetishizing spontaneity.

Project Mechanics

The Pure Automatism Simulator is a multifaceted work that incorporates interactive mechanics that allow users to create abstract compositions without consciously controlling the creative process.

Here’s what the complete project cycle looks like:

1. The algorithm generates a dynamic abstract image on the screen (top layer). This is an animated, "breathing" image that is itself a work of generative art.
2. A double-click on the screen initiates the simulation process: the bars, which are also part of the abstraction on the top layer, begin to extend, triggering the interactive phase.
3. The user interacts with the extending bars using the mouse, attempting to "retract" them by simply hovering the cursor over the edges of the bars. This part can be viewed as the performative element of the project.
4. The system records the movement of the cursor. The user does not see the trajectory of the mouse during the interaction.
5. The simulation concludes automatically when the bars stop extending. This signifies the end of the interactive phase.
6. Once the simulation is complete, the algorithm visualizes the recorded mouse trajectory using an algorithmic brush. This creates a new abstract artwork that forms the bottom layer of the composition.
7. The user can view the result (bottom layer) by long pressing the screen.
8. A double-click starts a new simulation cycle, allowing new artwork to be created.

Thus, the Pure Automatism Simulator constitutes a multicomponent work:

• The abstraction created by the algorithm (top layer) is an autonomous component of the generative project.

• The interaction process serves as a distinctive performance.

• The abstraction created as a result of the user's interaction with the system (bottom layer).

Philosophical Aspect: What Constitutes the "Unconscious" in the Digital Era?

In the context of the Pure Automatism Simulator, the "unconscious" acquires a new, specific meaning. It is less a psychological concept and more a domain of unintentional actions and reactions. When the user interacts with the simulator, their attention is focused on performing a simple task (responding to moving elements), while the creation of the artistic composition occurs, as it were, "behind the scenes."

This raises intriguing questions about the nature of creativity and free will. The Pure Automatism Simulator aims to create conditions for "unconscious" creativity, but it's important to recognize that it's impossible to completely eliminate conscious control. In the traditional understanding of automatism in art, the absence of conscious intention played a key role. In this project, however, intention is present but displaced: the user intentionally interacts with the simulator by performing a distracting task, but has no direct intention to create a specific artwork. This creates an interesting paradox: the pursuit of automatism through conscious action.

A question arises: can we speak of "true automatism" in the context of this project? Perhaps it would be more accurate to speak of "directed automatism" or "mediated unconscious creativity." This displacement of intention creates a unique space where conscious action and unconscious creativity intertwine. The result becomes a product of the interaction between intentional action, algorithmic randomness, and the unpredictability of human response, opening new horizons in the exploration of the nature of the creative process.

Pure Automatism Simulator: Aesthetics and the Question of Authorship

The works created in the Pure Automatism Simulator during the simulation process (bottom layer) transcend simple algorithmic generations. Their depth and complexity are determined not only by numerous algorithmic parameters but also by the unpredictable human contribution — the user's attention, mood, and reaction speed. Moreover, each work becomes a unique imprint of a moment, capturing an unrepeatable combination of algorithmic randomness and human spontaneity.

This fusion of human and algorithmic elements raises the question: who is the author of the works created? Three parties are involved in the process: the creator of the algorithm, who sets the framework and possibilities; the algorithm itself, which interprets and visualizes; and the user, who unconsciously provides a unique creative impulse.

The Pure Automatism Simulator does not provide a definitive answer, but proposes a model of distributed authorship. Here, the creative act becomes the result of an interaction between human intention, algorithmic interpretation, and unintentional user input. The artist transforms from a traditional creator into a designer of systems and processes that engender art. The artist creates not specific works, but spaces of possibility where art emerges through the interaction of the human and the algorithm.

The Project in the Context of Contemporary Art

The Pure Automatism Simulator does not exist in a vacuum. It is part of a broader movement in contemporary art that explores the interaction between humans and technology. Similar experiments can be found in works involving generative art, interactive installations, and projects using artificial intelligence.

In an era where algorithms and artificial intelligence play an increasingly significant role in the creative process, the project raises important questions:

• How does the concept of the "unconscious" change in the context of human-machine interaction?
• Can we speak of a "collective unconscious" between humans and algorithms?
• How do digital technologies influence our understanding of creativity and authorship?

The uniqueness of this project lies in its focus on unintentional creativity and how it makes these experiments accessible to a broad audience.

Art Without Intention

In a world where we increasingly interact with artificial intelligence, asking it to create images, write text, or compose music, the Pure Automatism Simulator offers a different approach. This project reminds us of the power of unintentional creativity, the magic of randomness and spontaneity in art.

The Pure Automatism Simulator returns us to the idea that true creativity can occur not only when we intentionally strive for it, but also when we simply allow ourselves to be, to act, to exist in the moment. In this project, technology becomes not a tool for executing our commands, but a partner in the spontaneous dance of creativity.

Ultimately, the Pure Automatism Simulator does not offer a definitive solution to the question of automatism in art, but rather opens up a new space for experimentation and reflection on this topic. It demonstrates that in contemporary digital art, authorship can be distributed, and originality can emerge from the unique interaction of the human, the algorithm, and the moment in time.