The Plain Text series plays on the “infinite monkey theorem”. It states that given an infinite amount of monkeys, typewriters, and time, the monkeys will type out any particularly text you choose. If one instructs the monkeys (or monkey simulators), to type the King James Bible one of them eventually will. Interestingly, this also includes all the text that you did not choose or any text that might ever be written.
I apply a version of this theorem to a series of short phrases that over an extended period of time cycle through every possible permutation of themselves. For Example:
“You want _ _ _ _ _ _.”
Starting right-to-left, like an odometer only with letters, all the blank spaces in the phrase sequentially cycle through every letter in the alphabet. By this, every word that is six characters long will eventually appear in the phrase above. Differing in theme, amount of blank spaces, and speed, each piece in the series has a different phrase displayed by itself on a large LCD screen. For the PluggedIn Exhibition in Hudson, NY two of these phrases were on display in the vestibules of the Mark McDonald store, along with one large phrase projected on the store’s second floor windows.
In addition to the above phrase, three other phrases have been explored, with more in development. The current phrases are:
“You want _ _ _ _ _ _.”
“Lets be _ _ _ _ _.”
“You _ _ _ _ _ _ in bed.”
“Do you _ _ _ _ _ _?”