Computer Arts Society

On-line talk: 18 September – George Mallen & the early Computer Arts Society

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Join me on Zoom to hear about some of the artists and artworks in my new book – Creative Simulations. Don’t know who George Mallen is? Well, I’ll tell you all about him and the ground-breaking Computer Arts Society project Ecogame of 1970. Ecogame was a simulation model of an economic system, dealt with opportune issues of ecology and environment, and was the first multi-player, digitally driven, interactive gaming system in the UK.  It exemplified the CAS belief in a positive ‘human machine interrelationship’ made visible through art. Watch the recording here: YouTube

Presentation at EVA London Conference

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I’m pleased to be participating in EVA this year on 8 July, in a symposium chaired by Jonathan Bowen and Tula Giannini: Computation, AI, and Creativity. Featuring my new book Creative Simulations, about George Mallen and the history of the Computer Arts Society. Read the EVA paper here. And come to a FREE book launch evening event!

NEW BOOK!

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It’s been a long time coming (three + years!), and my latest book is now out – Creative Simulations: George Mallen and the Early Computer Arts Society published by Springer. This tells the story of the beginning of the Computer Arts Society, through the career of George Mallen, the last surviving founder of CAS and pioneer of creative computing systems since 1964. Mallen commenced his career with cybernetician Gordon Pask, and Pask’s concept of interdisciplinarity influenced various activities including the Ecogame (exhibited in London 1970 and in Davos 1971) – a cooperative project involving many CAS members. Ecogame was the first digitally-driven, multi-player, interactive game (simulation) in the UK. Learn all about this and many other exhibitions and events from the 1960s and 1970s in this new book.

Listen to a talk I gave to the Computer Arts Society now on YouTube

Latest for the Tickle – featuring 1980s micro-computers

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Geoff Davis and his Micro Arts initiative, which allowed people to create computer art at home using their TV and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum. Read all about it in the Tickle, arts magazine published and sold as an NFT on Objkt.com

On-line talk March 29 2023: History of AI in the Arts – the UK in the 1970s

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7pm in the UK – 2pm in NYC, via Zoom 

Join me for a special on-line session with 3 pioneers of computer and computational art – precursors of today’s AI & Generative Art, all of whom have a connection to the Slade School of Art and Leicester Polytechnic in the early to late 1970s.

Ernest Edmonds will describe his pioneering work with Stroud Cornock at Leicester Polytechnic, the Invention of Problems events in 1970-71, his friendship with Edward Ihnatowicz, the relationship with the Slade and the formation of the Human Computer Interface Research Unit. Stephen Bell, one of the Slade students who continued his research with Ernest, will also talk about Dominic Boreham another student who went on to the HCIRU. Paul Brown, another student at the Slade and later a Research Fellow there, will talk about his friendship with Harold Cohen and Chris Briscoe and discuss his own work with AI and A-life.

FREE! Please book here: Or watch via YouTube

The Tickle

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I am super thrilled to be joining two dynamic creators/editors – Jess Britton and Johnny Dean Mann on their digital art magazine The Tickle. I am writing a monthly column – starting with Issue No.80, about the history of this field – each month a new topic. I’m looking forward to covering some historical subjects that still have relevance in the art world today, especially with reference to technology, society and early digital art. First up is Stroud Cornock and Ernest Edmonds with a work from 1970!

New book art:notes+works Ernest Edmonds

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This beautifully-illustrated book about award winning digital and systems artist Ernest Edmonds, covers his career from 1960 to present. The Introduction includes a transcription of a ‘Conversation’ between Ernest and I that took place at the Paul Mellon Centre last year – hit the VIDEOS tab above to see a recording on YouTube of this lecture and conversation.

New paper on Robert Mallary just published

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Robert Mallary QUAD III, 1969. Plywood, metal and resin on plywood base. This was exhibited at the Whitney Annual Sculpture show (NY 1968-69) and New Tendencies (Zagreb 1969). Now in the collection of Tate London (as seen here)

My latest research on artist Robert Mallary (1917-1997) has just been published, part of the Review of Machine Art Special Issue of Arts. Read “An Element of Perfection: The Transductive Art of Robert Mallary”. Before the realm of techno-art became a recognizable construct, Mallary was interested in a system of relationships, seeking in his words, ‘an element of perfection’ in combinations of materials and technologies to make ‘a beautiful whole’.  I argue there is an art historical trajectory of a 3D immersive type of art that takes place in a specific defined environment – a concept that I link from Mexican muralist David Alfaro Siquerios through Kurt Schwitters via Mallary and the bourgeoning field of “art & technology” in the middle decades of the 20th century.

New ebook version of A Computer in the Art Room out now!

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It’s been 13 years since A Computer in the Art Room was published.  My original intention was to provide a highly-illustrated, accessible introduction to a subject that was, in 2008, little explored and to give voice to the very many pioneering artists and practitioners who made work in the 1960s and 70s in Britain.  For many, this was the first time they had told their stories. Sadly, a number of these individuals are no longer with us, which now makes me grateful that I was able to record their contributions in the way that I did, placing their work within a wider art historical context. Today an increasing number of scholars are working in this field and there have been many more contributions to this history; this book still contains valuable information about the early days. It’s now available as an ebook for an affordable price – see SHOP tab above. Also available on Apple Bookstore – search the title. OR CLICK HERE