Generative Art Timeline · Chapter 6: Personal Computer Era (1980s)
1982
The Computer Image by Donald Greenberg, Aaron Marcus, Allan H. Schmidt, and Vernon Gorter

The Computer Image was an important book in the burgeoning field of computer graphics, exploring its diverse applications. The book showcases how computers generate and manipulate images and how these have impacted various industries, such as art, design and engineering. It was around this time. It discusses algorithms, hardware and software tools, elucidating their role in creating visual representations. The text focuses on practical use cases, highlighting real-world examples and potential innovations.
Text by Peter Bauman. Generative Art Timeline, Le Random, fact-checked September 2026.
Sources
People
Aaron Marcus, Allan H. Schmidt, Donald Greenberg, Vernon Gorter
Movements
computer art, Technology and Art
Filed under
- Ideas
- tools
- Technologies
- algorithms, computer graphics
- People
- Aaron Marcus, Allan H. Schmidt, Donald Greenberg, Vernon Gorter
- Works
- The Computer Image
Echoes across time
- 1968 · The machine, as seen at the end of the mechanical age at MoMA
- 1951 · Edmund C. Berkeley Begins Publishing Computers and Automation
- 1968 · "On the Path to Computer Art” by the Parallel Group
Le Random editorials
- A. Michael Noll on When It All Started, A. Michael Noll, March 25, 2025
Le Random podcast
- Timeline Ch 4—Digital Era Pt I (1960s) with Dr A Michael Noll — listen with transcript on Le Random (07 Sep 2023, 60 min). Transcript mentions Aaron Marcus. Apple Podcasts · Spotify
- 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). Chapter 6’s episode. Apple Podcasts · Spotify