Generative Art Timeline · Chapter 2: Modern Era (1850–1949)
1912
Sonia and Robery Delaunay Develop Orphism

Inspired by the ideas of Cubism and Futurism, Sonia and Robert Delaunay sought with Orphism to create a new kind of abstract art. Their work emphasized the interplay of color and light, often using circular forms and contrasting hues to create dynamic visual effects. A key development in modern art’s abstraction, Orphism likened painting to music. Its musical inspiration explain the movement’s interest in expressing dynamism, inspiring future movements to embrace visual rhythms, optical effects and other dynamic relationship between elements, including digital generative art. These movements include Op art and Kinetic art, two important predecessors of electronic art.
Text by Peter Bauman. Generative Art Timeline, Le Random.
Sources
People
Robert Delaunay, Sonia Delaunay
Movements
Futurism, Orphism
Filed under
- Ideas
- abstraction, color, Cubism, dynamism, Futurism, geometry, light, music, optical effects, Orphism, rhythm
- Technologies
- kinetic art
- People
- Robert Delaunay, Sonia Delaunay
- Works
- Electronic Art
Echoes across time
- 1984 · Chromas by Edward Zajec
- 1960 · Vera Molnar Co-Founds Centre de Recherche d’Art Visuel, (later Groupe de Recherche d’Art Visuel (GRAV))
- 1973 · France Hosts International Computer Art Events
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- Timeline Ch 2—Modern Era with Kate Vass — listen with transcript on Le Random (20 Jul 2023, 58 min). Chapter 2’s episode. Apple Podcasts · Spotify