Unfinished Webs
Initial Questions / Concerns
How does the spider know how to spin a web? How can all the myriad of decisions of placement, light level, windspeed etc. be hardcoded in to such a fragile animal?
It was not long before the question of our own agency began sneaking in. Are our actions as predetermined? Do we simply go into automatic mode when we create? Is the flow state of creation / survival one that has choices?
If we empathized with the spider and sought to make a house for it’s tasks, could we deduce if the animal has free will? And by extension, ask the question of ourselves.
The Design of the Spiders House :
The assumption was that the spider would build webs around a light source. This was moderately confirmed by the siting of such phenomena in nearby underpasses and bridges. The goal was to create large ‘faces’ orthogonal to the light source, for the spider to construct it’s web within.
Material Reality :
We had a scrap piece of Alupanel which we cut into strips, somewhat thoughtlessly. The strips were examined, and a natural bend, eliciting a somewhat Mobius like curve, was discovered. This curved shape was then bolted in a repeating pattern, and woven into it’s vertical mirror. The result was an extremely loose and organic octahedron.
Logistical Reality :
A long discussion upon the legality of ‘testing’ our spider house publicly ensued. The conclusion was reached, that such endeavors would best be received under the approval of the state, rather than to its surprise. Following an unsurprising series of dead-end calls to officials, the project stalled. After month of legal uncertainty, we discarded the object.
Further Discussion :
Do spiders leave webs they have made? Do they loose interest, or are they stymied by some persistent wind in an otherwise perfect web location?
Have we said anything about the free-will of the animal or ourselves? In our blind attempts at empathy with such alien creatures?
Perhaps most importantly :
Do spiders preform surrealist automatism?