{Software} Structures
Primary Source: https://artport.whitney.org/commissions/softwarestructures/
Author: Casey Reas · Year: 2004 · Publisher: Whitney Museum of American Art Artport
Summary
In this seminal 2004 text commissioned for the Whitney Museum Artport, Casey Reas bridges conceptual art and computational drawing by exploring how Sol LeWitt’s instructional wall drawings relate to algorithmic software. Reas proposes “software structures”—programs defined first through natural language and visual sketches rather than machine code, separating the conceptual core of a work from its computational realization and enabling dynamic, behavioral systems.
Key Points
- Separation of Concept and Implementation: Conceptual art decouples the idea from its physical execution, parallel to how a programmer specifies instructions that an executing medium carries out.
- Natural Language as Programming Medium: Working in natural language and diagrams introduces generative ambiguity, allowing diverse interpretations across draftspersons or software engines.
- Static vs. Dynamic Structures: While LeWitt’s wall drawings remain static once executed, software structures introduce temporal dynamics, autonomous agents, and reactive behaviors between elements over time.