Robert Henke is a German composer who specialises in multichannel audiovisual works. His works utilise computer algorithms, generating sound and image, integrating field recordings, photography and light. His works can be described as ambient, contemporary or club music.
His latest work explores the grey area between engineering and artistic creation, and the relationship between the two. The work began with just one machine, a CBM 8032 computer, a now obsolete machine that holds sentimental value to Henke due him learning programming on it as a child. He wanted to see exactly what he could do with the equipment, gradually Henke added more computers and hardware until the project became a live performance utilising five computers and hardware he developed that allowed him to extend the machine’s utility. One of the things that interests Robert about this piece is that due to his restriction to obsolete technology, everything he does on stage could have been done in 1980. Furthermore, Henke appreciates the fact that the results he produces on stage probably would’ve been discarded as not interesting at that time. He believes the work, at least to him, highlights the change in the collective mind set of the art world, we can now appreciate works created from a piece of technology in the same way we appreciate works created from instruments.
Henke speaks on the cultural significance of the commodore CBM 8032. The computer had the first affordable CPU, suddenly students in the 1970’s could build their own computers, this created a doorway for people to become computer developers. Another culturally significant part of these computers is the visual layout, green characters on a black background. Henke describes its aesthetic as ‘a future of the past’, and he speaks on how he likes that he carries this subtext with him on stage. One of the most important aspects the Henke is the minimalist nature of the machines, the screen is limited to 24×80 characters, giving what he describes as a limited scale with which to create something pleasing. Henke describes this as liberating.
HIs piece utilises the computers monochromatic green aesthetic to provide a visual accompaniment, creating complex imagery with something that is simple in nature. Henke draws influence from Manfred Mohr and his work in computer art, he had a reduction in his creative process due to the limitations of the medium. This reduction, Henke believes, resulted in works that still remain fresh by todays standards. This kind of art has a unique challenge, creating something simple enough to work with a machine of low processing power, but complex enough to be aesthetically pleasing. I think finding freedom within limitation is very interesting and id like to experiment with this method of creation.