Generative Art Timeline · Chapter 6: Personal Computer Era (1980s)
1981
SIGGRAPH 1981 Computer Culture Art Show
As part of the larger computer graphics conference, SIGGRAPH hosted the Computer Culture Art Show ’81 in Dallas, Texas, USA. Curated by Darcy Gerbarg, the show was incredibly varied, featuring “many forms, including sculpture, painting, printmaking, drawing, ceramics, photography and filmmaking.”
Yet, “the common ground upon which these artists stand, the thread which ties this show together, is the shared utilization of high technology,” said Gerbarg. Gerbarg exhibited artwork at the exhibition as well, including May I, a patterned work on ceramic tile.
The show featured artists such as Edward Zajec, Colette and Charles Bangert, Nelson Max, Stan Vanderbeek, Copper Giloth, Rebecca Allen, Lillian Schwartz, Ken Knowlton, David Em, Ruth Leavitt, Joan Truckenbrod and Jim Blinn.
Text by Peter Bauman. Generative Art Timeline, Le Random.
Sources
People
Charles "Jeff" Bangert, Colette Bangert, Copper Giloth, Darcy Gerbarg, David Em, Edward Zajec, Jim Blinn, Joan Truckenbrod, Ken Knowlton, Lillian Schwartz, Nelson Max, Rebecca Allen, Ruth Leavitt, Stan VanDerBeek
Movements
computer art, generative art
Filed under
- Ideas
- generative art
- Technologies
- computer art, computer graphics
- People
- Charles "Jeff" Bangert, Colette Bangert, Copper Giloth, Darcy Gerbarg, David Em, Edward Zajec, Jim Blinn, Joan Truckenbrod, Ken Knowlton, Lillian Schwartz, Nelson Max, Rebecca Allen, Ruth Leavitt, Stan VanDerBeek
- Works
- David, May I
- Exhibitions
- SIGGRAPH 1981 Computer Culture Art Show
- Organisations
- SIGGRAPH
- Places
- Dallas, Texas, United States
Echoes across time
- 1968 · The machine, as seen at the end of the mechanical age at MoMA
- 1964 · Leslie Mezei Gives the First Lecture on Computer Art
- 1966 · Herstellung von zeichnerischen Darstellungen, Tonfolgen und Texten mit elektronischen Rechenanlagen (Production of graphic renderings, audio sequences, and texts by electronic computers) Exhibition
Le Random editorials
- Colette Bangert on Growing Visually, Peter Bauman, May 7, 2024
- Operator Profiles Rebecca Allen, Operator, August 13, 2024
- Copper Giloth on Video Games to Video Art, Peter Bauman, September 22, 2025
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). Featuring Darcy Gerbarg, David Em, Copper Giloth. Chapter 6’s episode. Apple Podcasts · Spotify
- Timeline Ch 5—Artist-Programmer Era (1970s) with Joan Truckenbrod, Hans Dehlinger & Anika Meier — listen with transcript on Le Random (14 Jan 2024, 65 min). Featuring Joan Truckenbrod. Apple Podcasts · Spotify
- "Electric Dreams" in Conversation—Rebecca Allen, Analívia Cordeiro & Eduardo Kac — listen with transcript on Le Random (23 Dec 2024, 68 min). Featuring Rebecca Allen. Apple Podcasts · Spotify