The exhibition COMPLEXITY introduces complexity science as a means by which artists can observe and interpret the natural world afresh. The study of complex systems has ramifications across scientific disciplines and ramifications for the visual arts. Simply defined, a complex system is one in which an increasing number of independent variables are interacting in interdependent and unpredictable ways. Traffic, the weather, the stock market, and the United Nations are good examples of complex systems.

The challenges of the twenty-first century will require new ways of thinking about and understanding our complex, rapidly changing, and interconnected world, and the new science of complex systems is providing the insights we need to push our thinking in new directions. High-speed computer technology is the key that unlocks the mystery of complex systems for those who wish to explore it.

Philip Galanter, Untitled (F091148 Self-Organized Lightbox Drawing), 2002

COMPLEXITY showcases work by 23 artists who employ a variety of media in an attempt to explore commonalities among complex systems across disciplines. It includes an early and prescient work by Hans Haacke, Condensation Cube (1963-65), and the work of emerging artist Brian Lytle, who works with chemicals that interact according to their density, creating intricately patterned surfaces. Five video artists are featured in the exhibition.

The exhibition COMPLEXITY originated at the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art, SUNY New Paltz and is curated by Philip Galanter and Ellen K. Levy. The mounting of the exihibition at the Federal Reserve Board is cosponsored by the Washington Center for Complexity and Public Policy.

Brian Lytle, Untitled, 2002

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