Ivan Moscovich Begins Experimenting with Mathematical Forms

Event

Dense curved blue and black lines form a rounded, twisting harmonogram with pink, cyan and yellow arcs on white. — Ivan Moscovich, Harmonograms of Moscovich, 1968. Analog-computer original, 24 × 24 inches. A later example of the mathematical forms he began exploring in the 1950s. Ivan Moscovich. Artist-submitted reproduction for the 2010 Bridges Conference, Mathematical Art Galleries / The Bridges Organization. Reproduction photographer not identified. Image source.

Mathematician Ivan Moscovich experimented with different mechanisms to create complex curves and shapes based on mathematical formulas. His work demonstrated the potential of algorithmic processes to generate intricate and visually appealing designs. Moscovich’s work was an early example of the intersection between mathematics, computer programming, and art.

Text by Peter Bauman. Generative Art Timeline, Le Random, fact-checked September 2026.

Sources

Taylor, Grant D. When the Machine Made Art: The Troubled History of Computer Art, 70. New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2014.

People

Ivan Moscovich

Movements

computer art, generative art

Filed under

Ideas: generative art, Material Generative Art, mathematics
Technologies: algorithms, computer art, drawing machine, mechanical apparatuses, programming
People: Ivan Moscovich

Echoes across time

Le Random editorials

Explore all Le Random editorials and artist interviews

Le Random podcast

Timeline Ch 3—Analog Era (1950s) with Georg Bak — listen with transcript on Le Random (10 Aug 2023, 65 min). Chapter 3’s episode. Apple Podcasts · Spotify