Generative Art Timeline · Chapter 6: Personal Computer Era (1980s)
1983
Electra Exhibition Curated by Frank Popper and Marie-Odile Briot

Electra (1983) was an exhibition curated by Frank Popper and Marie-Odile Briot at the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris from 1983 until 1984. The full name of the exhibition was Electra. L’électricité et l’électronique dans l’art au XXe siècle [Electricity and Electronics in the Art of the XXth Century]. The initial exhibition would feature two works from Herbert W. Franke, including Butterfly and Mikado, which both focused on color combinations. Sonia Sheridan from Generative Systems and Roy Ascott would also produce work for the show. In her typical preponderance to incorporate the new, Sheridan’s work was the first to use the Paintbox system, according to Geoff Davis at MicroArts.
Vera Molnár’s work was also referenced by the exhibition catalogue; her participation in a Parisian Computer art event in the 1980s is far from shocking.
Text by Peter Bauman. Generative Art Timeline, Le Random.
Sources
- Jean-Louis Boissier, “1983 Electra”: exhibition archive, Musée d’art moderne de la Ville de Paris, 10 December 1983–5 February 1984.
- Geoff Davis / Micro Arts Group, “1983 Computer digital art and music,” Electra and Paintbox entries.
People
Frank Popper, Herbert W. Franke, Marie-Odile Briot, Roy Ascott, Sonia Landy Sheridan, Vera Molnár
Movements
Electronic Art
Filed under
- Ideas
- color, generative systems
- Technologies
- computer art, Quantel Paintbox
- People
- Frank Popper, Herbert W. Franke, Marie-Odile Briot, Roy Ascott, Sonia Landy Sheridan, Vera Molnár
- Works
- Butterfly, Electronic Art, Mikado
- Exhibitions
- Electra
- Organisations
- Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris
- Places
- Paris
Echoes across time
- 2004 · Margot Lovejoy Publishes Digital Currents: Art in the Electronic Age
- 1966 · Kunst-Licht-Kunst Artificial Light Exhibition
- 1969 · Kunst Und Computer Exhibition at Vienna Sparkasse
Le Random editorials
- Timeline Chapter 1: Ten Top Moments, Peter Bauman, September 6, 2023
Le Random podcast
- Timeline Ch 2—Modern Era with Kate Vass — listen with transcript on Le Random (20 Jul 2023, 58 min). Transcript mentions Frank Popper. Apple Podcasts · Spotify
- "Electric Op" in Conversation—Cory Arcangel, Joan Heemskerk, Tali Hinkis & Rafael Lozano-Hemmer — listen with transcript on Le Random (22 Sep 2024, 53 min). Transcript mentions Frank Popper. Apple Podcasts · Spotify
- Timeline Ch 6—Personal Computer Era (1980s) with Mark Wilson, Copper Giloth, Dan Sandin, David Em, William Latham, Stephen Todd, Darcy Gerbarg & Geoff Davis — listen with transcript on Le Random (08 Feb 2024, 85 min). Chapter 6’s episode. Apple Podcasts · Spotify