Generative Art Timeline · Chapter 7: Net Era (1990s)
1990
February: initial public release of Adobe Photoshop

In Feb 1990, Adobe Photoshop, the ground-breaking image editing program, was made public. It changed the digital art world by providing strong tools for graphic design and photo manipulation. Creatives loved its potential, allowing for complex editing and visual storytelling. Photoshop has become a design studio staple and an indispensable tool for artists worldwide, affecting how visual information is generated and altered. The software’s constant progress has left an unmistakable effect on generative art, allowing creators to realize their visionary projects with unparalleled accuracy and originality.
Text by Peter Bauman. Generative Art Timeline, Le Random.
Sources
Movements
graphic design
Filed under
- Ideas
- digital art, generative art, graphic design, tools
- Technologies
- image editing, Photoshop, raster graphics
- Organisations
- Adobe
Echoes across time
- 1978 · Alvy Ray Smith Develops PAINT
- 2024 · LACMA Digital Witness
- 1970 · City Painting by Grace C. Hertlein
Le Random editorials
- Seams and Synthesis: Schizocollage and AI Aesthetics, Brian Droitcour, February 2, 2026
- Meandering with AI, Kevin Buist, April 29, 2025
- Rafaël Rozendaal on a Liquid Canvas, Peter Bauman, January 21, 2025
- Inside qubibi’s Shinjuku Studio, Peter Bauman, December 18, 2024
Le Random podcast
- 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). Transcript mentions Photoshop. Apple Podcasts · Spotify
- Timeline Ch 7—Net Era (1990s) with Auriea Harvey, Joshua Davis, LIA, Scott Draves & Vuk Ćosić — listen with transcript on Le Random (11 Apr 2024, 77 min). Transcript mentions Photoshop. Chapter 7’s episode. Apple Podcasts · Spotify
- Timeline Ch 9—AI Era (2010s) with Tyler Hobbs, Helena Sarin, Rhea Myers & Gene Kogan — listen with transcript on Le Random (30 Jul 2024, 51 min). Transcript mentions Photoshop. Apple Podcasts · Spotify