Multimedia - Composing With Media - Indeterminancy

As part of the coursework for one of my classes at AU this semester (Composing With Media), I will be making posts to my blogs for assigned class work. Please feel free to take a look at the blog for the course if you're interested in what my posts relate to.

Indeterminacy

Indeterminacy in media is a method of structure in media that removes the linear aspects of time in an absolute way compared to traditional linear structure of media. Even in non-linear media editing, there is a general resolution that the decomposition of time as an aspect of the media is simply a tool to facilitate the work of the creator and not a favorable aspect in of itself.

Where indeterminacy becomes important is in considering the relationship of work to viewer; the traditional nature of work is as static object for discussion versus active participant in dialog between art and audience. Linear structures of media composition enforce the absolute control of creator in a way that prescribes how audience reacts to the composition, rather than allowing and enabling the audience to become both feedback to composition as well as being of central importance; the audience gives to the piece and the piece gives back to the audience.

However, is there a problem inherent in making the audience too central to a piece? If the audience becomes too important to the function of a piece, do the precepts the work stands for become untenable because the piece's value has diminished in relation to the value embodied by the actions of the audience? If an audience's input is too central, is the work still establishing its worth instead of becoming another tool in the way linear media compositions are tools?