Re: The Surrealist complement generator

Lee Hollingworth (lee@giaeb.cc.monash.edu.au)
Tue, 9 May 95 21:46:03 EST

> If all we wanted to do was create a "painting" then the same could be
> applied to graphical objects and some spatial rules. In fact that
> would probably be easier than a compliment generator.
>
> A way around this dilemma may be to borrow common architectural motifs
> from our own culture, and use those to give space some meaning. For
> instance, if you are in an office building, the size of one's office
> and the number of windows with a good view say a lot about your power
> within the organization. Whereas a uniformly anonymous desk in a
> typing pool also says a lot. I'm not sure how these ideas translate
> directly into telling stories about stuff that people are interested
> in... I haven't written anything about office complexes lately.

It is the symbolism that is important as you say. Generally accepted
status symbols, should not be hard to come by if that is deemed
necessary in the telling of the story.

> I suppose one could provide a Surrealist experience in an office
> complex, by providing random metaphors of consumer goods, advertizing
> slogans, and Marxist diatribes about finance-capital. Embellishing an
> office with random societal symbols that exist in proximity to offices
> and commerce might yield an interesting tableau.

Hmmm, I'm not convinced the scattering of common day objects implies
surrealism - in fact the above has a tendency to imply some sort of
political statement, not the freedom of the dream world which most
certainly sets the criteria for giving value to surrealist collage.

> And then you could always throw in the occasional barking chicken....

Now your dreaming :-)

Lee.