Digital Art Museum
 
Essays    
 

Artists on their Work

Essays in this section are by the artists on their own work, though of course they often reflect on the wider issues.

[Some of these essays are taken from the arts and technology journal Leonardo, and reproduced by their kind permission (particular thanks to Roger Malina and Norah Piehl). Visit the Leonardo website for more information on the journal.]

NB Starred items (*) are abstract only, due to pending permissions.

    
     
1970 Austin Lamont Interview with John Whitney Sr.* Interview with the 'father of computer animation'.
1975 Manfred Mohr In Ruth Leavitt's Artist and Computer* An interesting early essay by Mohr on his own work and the development of the field.
1975 Ben Laposky In Ruth Leavitt's Artist and Computer * Laposky's work is arguably the forerunner of all digital fine art: here he summarises his early explorations.
1975 Harold Cohen Tate Gallery Catalogue introduction * Pioneering artist Harold Cohen's introduction to his exhibition at the Tate Gallery, London, UK
1975 John Whitney Sr. Computational Periodics * A short summary of Whitney's principle artistic concerns regarding the use of the computer
1975 Vera Molnar Toward Aesthetic Guidelines for Painting with the Aid of a Computer * An early Leonardo article by Paris-based pioneer.
1976 Ken Knowlton In Ruth Leavitt's Artist and Computer * An insight into Knowlton's own thinking and the work done at Bell Labs.
1976 Ruth Leavitt In Artist and Computer * Leavitt is both artist and editor of a valuable early collection of writings on the subject.
1976 Ruth Leavitt and Jay Leavitt Pictures based on computer drawings made by deforming an initial design * A Leonardo article by husband-and-wife team (of which there are a number of interesting examples in the history of computer art).
1976 Edward E. Zajac In Artist and Computer * Zajac is interested, like Whitney, in linking digital abstract animations with music.
1980 John Whitney Sr. Foreword to Digital Harmony * Whitney sets out in some detail his agenda for the integration of digital moving image and sound.
1988 David Em A Note about my Work This essay is taken from the monograph on David Em, one of the earliest artists to explore 3D software.
1988 William Latham The Computer Evolution of Imaginery Sculptures * This article is Latham's discussion of his own work shown at the Arnolfini Gallery.
1990 Roman Verostko Epigenetic Painting: Software as Genotype This important Leonardo paper sets out his ideas on algorithmic and evolutionary art.
1995 Laurence Gartel (Abstract) Nuvo Japonica * A brief Leonardo article by Gartel pointing to the influence of the Japanese aesthetic on modern art movements.