Complex, Not Complicated
I recently had someone tell me that my work is "stripped of complication," which naturally got me thinking about the difference between complexity and complication.
The difference is mostly semantic, of course. Both refer to the quality of having many parts which form a not-simple whole. But I like to think that something complex has parts that are unified, where the relationships are clear and the effect is mesmerizing.
On the other hand, when something is complicated the relationships between its parts are much less clear, and the result is frustration as you search for patterns that are hard to see (or non-existent).
Anyway, I think "complex but not complicated" might be the best way to describe my aesthetic. Sounds stolen, but an internet search reveals only math puns, so I'm going for it.
