Marcel Schwittlick

Lucas Rehnman on Marcel Schwittlick's Composition #92

Immerse Yourself in the World of Odysseys: A Video Tour

9 Pixels per Second. Interview with Marcel Schwittlick.

Composition #92 (Digital)

Composition #92 (Digital) is a series of 250 generative digital drawings, based on software written by Marcel Schwittlick and built on a base of millions of recorded mouse movements that Schwittlick has compiled over time.

The database of recorded mouse movements constitutes an extensive digital library of at-first-glance random scribbles. Are these drawings really random? What is randomness? John Cage said: “the first question I ask myself when something doesn't seem to be beautiful is ‘why do I think it is not beautiful?’ and very shortly you discover there's no reason. If we can conquer that dislike or begin to like what we did dislike, then the world is more open.” Can one say the drawings derived from mouse movements are random? They might appear soulless, perhaps, but are they, really?