Malcolm Hughes Establishes Experimental Department at the Slade

Hugely important and later renamed the Experimental and Computing Department and lasting until 1981, the department introduced computer and video fine art to the Slade School of Fine Art at University College London, influenced by Slade staff member titans and students such as Harold Cohen, Richard Hamilton and Eduardo Paolozzi. The Department marked a critical leap into the field of technology in by the art school. It was a rarity among traditional art schools, particularly in the UK. Independent Group figures including Richard Hamilton and Eduardo Paolozzi had trained at the Slade, and Harold Cohen taught painting there from 1961 to 1968. William Coldstream, Slade Professor from 1950 to 1975, provided significant assistance for the Experimental and Computing Department, building on his experience at the General Post Office Film Unit in the 1930s. Harold Cohen, who was quite as a successful painter before turning to computer art, contributed to this technological revolution with early works that demonstrated an interest in systems and logical processes. Malcolm Hughes, co-founder of the Systems group in 1969, played a crucial role in launching the new Slade department, which reflected Constructivism. Additional students from the department include artists such as Paul Brown, Stephen Bell, Stephen Scrivener and Dominic Boreham would study under Hughes at the Slade.