10 Examples of Beautiful Computer Generated Art
October 6, 2015
Bob Lansroth
The use of digital tools and aids in order to create art has not been an uncommon thing for quite
a while now, in fact, it almost comes naturally nowadays. But, when we speak about computer
art, or computer generated art, the machine becomes the main conductor of the creative force.
The term computer art usually refers to any form of digital imagery or graphic art that is
produced with the aid of a computer, or any other form where the employment of a
computer is emphasized. Today, many traditional disciplines are often combined with digital
technologies, thus blurring the lines between traditional works of art and new media works. As it
is ever-evolving and changing, the digital world and technology based art tools keep producing
new ways of creating, editing and forming the artistic vision of an individual who must keep in
touch with the latest updates in order to use the maximum potential of machines. Dating back to
mid/late 1950s, the first computer art shows, held at the Howard Wise Gallery in NY,
astounded the public. At the time, the artwork was dubbed as Digital or Cybernetic art, it
comprised mostly of geometrical shapes in different random combinations. The form
was ground-breaking at the time of its conception, and henceforth continued to develop and
grow alongside of the digital evolution which was destined to spread globally.
Now, with the omnipresent influence of digitalization, we take a look at 10 beautiful
examples of computer generated art.
Jason Salavon – Every Playboy Centerfold, The Decades
Jason Salavon – Every Playboy Centerfold, The Decades
Before fully stepping into the practice of being a fine artist, Jason Salavon worked as a
programmer in the video game industry. Widely recognized for his manipulation of the vast
quantity of iconographic materials through the use of computer software, Salavon presents a
fresh perspective on the familiar. His practice often unearths unforeseeable patterns that resonate
through the relationship of the part and the whole. Such is the result of his series of computer
generated art pieces where he created his signature blurred photographic effect by overlaying and
combining numerous photographs of not-so-average women from the Playboy centerfold
foldouts from the four decades; 1960 to 1999. Have a look at the story behind the iconic
Marilyn Monroe photographs for the first issue of Playboy. The final product displayed
predominant characteristics of a typical Playboy model: light skin, long hair, thin body, radiant
against a bluish background. What was interesting is that the pictures in the series actually reveal
the gradual thinning, lightening and increased frontality of the models throughout the years.
Scott Snibbe - Falling Girl
Scott Snibbe - Falling Girl
An immersive interactive narrative installation, named Falling Girl, allows the viewer to become
an active part of the story which follows a young girl’s unnaturally slow descent from the top of a
skyscraper to the ground. The falling girl reacts to the people and events from each window she
passes by on her way down, and the audiences were given the chance to play the part of those
people. The message of this technology based art piece is conveyed through an interactive way,
emphasizing the shortness of our lives and the (un)importance of the small, petty things. The
digital installation provided a unique experience for the visitors, giving them the opportunity to
become an integral part of the art.
Victor Adan, Jeff Snyder & Daniel Iglesia – The Draftmasters
Victor Adan, Jeff Snyder & Daniel Iglesia – The Draftmasters
Hacked pen-plotter printers equipped with pickups for sound, producing…art? Is this example
taking computer art to the extreme? Perhaps, but it is at the core of its basic principles. The way
it works is that two guys, namely Victor Adan and Jeff Snyder, make physical gestures and
motions which direct the hacked pen-plotter printers. The same printers are pimped with pickups
to make the sound, Daniel Iglesia, the third guy from this video/geek/music collaboration,
analyzes the visuals and creates 3D graphics in real-time. Doesn’t make much sense? Well, have
a look at the art piece and the artists in action, perhaps it will give you some perspective, or not…
Either way, it is definitely computer art!
Mark Wilson - 'e4708'
Mark Wilson - 'e4708'
In 1980, Mark Wilson bought himself a microcomputer and started learning programming in
order to create artwork. His computer generated art pieces have been widely exhibited across the
world. The distinct technological flavor to his geometric imagery has made him one of the most
prominent names behind computer art. Back in the 80s, there were only a few options for an
artistic endeavor involving a machine. Wilson purchased a personal computer and learned to
write his own software. Through calculated repetition, Mark creates complex layers that result in
very intricate artworks. As in most examples of computer art, some aspects are left to chance and
are chosen randomly by the machine, while others are carefully designed by the artist.
Gilles Tran – Blowing in the wind
Gilles Tran – Blowing in the wind
French contemporary 3D artist Gilles Tran, mostly known as Oyonale, is dedicated to digital art.
His work focuses on 3D rendering software, such as POV-Ray, Cinema 4D, Poser and
FinalRender. The website of his portfolio is abundant with digital artwork from over the years of
his career. The prolific programmer and designer has created surreal worlds with his digital
prowess. His three-dimensional spaces are breathtaking and lure the viewer in, making the art
piece almost life-like. His website bursts with various examples of digital art and also provides
free images of the work in progress and shows the steps he made in order to finalize the finished
product. Such is his piece entitled Blowing in the wind, where the gravity seems to be toying
with the subjects within the room. The whole scene seems to be capturing a beautiful, yet
dangerous moment in the wind.
Manfred Mohr - Sphereless
Manfred Mohr - Sphereless
The high interest in algorithmic art urged Manfred Mohr to start using the computer in 1969.
Considered as a pioneer of digital art, his early computer art pieces are algorithmic and feature
a strong attitude towards rhythm and repetition. Since then, Mohr has had many solo exhibitions
worldwide and he has participated in innumerable group shows, such as: MoMA - Museum of
Modern Art, NY 1980, Centre Pompidou, Paris 1978, 1992; ZKM (Center for Art and Media),
Karlsruhe 2005, 2008, 2010; Museum Ritter, Waldenbuch 2005, 2006, 2008, 2013; MoCA, Los
Angeles 1975; National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo 1984; Museum of Modern Art, San
Francisco 1973, 1977, 1980, and many, many others. He is also the recipient of numerous highly
acclaimed awards like ACM SIGGRAPH Distinguished Artist Award for Lifetime Achievement
in Digital Art, 2013 and Golden Nica from Ars Electronica, Linz 1990, just to name a few.
Camille Utterback – Abundance
Camille Utterback – Abundance
Located in the city of San Jose, California, Abundance was a temporary public installation by
Camille Utterback. In order for this technology based art piece to work, a video camera was
installed on the City Hall which captured the movements of people in the plaza below. The
captured silhouettes were then projected as a dynamic animation onto the cylindrical building.
Movements and paths of the passersby became part of a collective visual record, thus turning the
building into an ever-changing and dynamic canvas.
Joseph Nechvatal – Computer Virus
Joseph Nechvatal – Computer Virus
The post-conceptual digital artist and art theoretician, Joseph Nechvatal, creates computer-
assisted paintings, animations and custom-designed computer viruses. Ever since his early pieces
from 1986, Nechvatal has been fascinated with the relationship between reality and virtuality.
Coincidentally, he coined the art theory term viractualism. One of his most famous works was
the Computer Virus Project where he aimed to create physical paintings through algorithms that
were to implement the “viral” processes. He was attempting to bring back the virtual into the
real. The entire series is described by Nechvatal as a part of the viractualism movement which
seeks to form and investigate interfaces between the technological and the biological.
Pascal Dombis - Irrational Geometrics
Pascal Dombis - Irrational Geometrics
Through the use of excessive technological process, Pascal Dombis explores the complexities of
visual paradoxes. Computers and algorithmic elements are the key factors in his art. As many
other digital artists, through intricate repetitions of simple processes, he produces elaborate
geometric and typographical signs. The final piece sometimes appears as a sort of a glitch we
would encounter in a computer program, but it is that feeling of unease and de-structure that
inspires the viewer to gaze deeper and think about the paradox of mechanical control and the
chaotic randomness it produces.
POV-Ray – Still Life
POV-Ray – Still Life
So, how far exactly has computer art progressed through the ages? Well, a little program called
Persistence of Vision Raytracer, aka POV-Ray, may provide the answer. This tracing software
generates images from a text-based scene description, creating visual works of art from millions
and billions of complex mathematical calculations. It does not require any in-born talents like
drawing or painting skills, and it is free to use. The end result speaks for itself, the high
resemblance to a photograph or a real life-like image is uncanny. It remains to be one of the most
commonly used ray-tracing software to date, it is relatively easy to use, and it provides powerful
features.
All images used for illustrative purposes only
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In 1971, the pioneers of video art Steina and Woody Vasulka founded the iconic venue
called The Kitchen, in order to showcase the latest production in the field. In only a couple of
years, it became the melting pot of the thriving avant-garde scene in New York, and was a
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Gretchen Bender - Total Recall, 1987. Eleven-channel video installation on 24 monitors and three
projection screens, 18.2 minutes, with soundtrack by Stuart Argabright. Photo: Jason Mandella, courtesy
The Kitchen
The Pioneer of Computer Art
Gretchen Bender arrived in New York in 1978 and shortly after became affiliated with the
prominent artists centered around the artist-run space called Nature Morte such as Robert
Longo and Cindy Sherman, as well as artists connected to The Kitchen like choreographers
Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane, and musicians Stuart Argabright and Vernon Reid.
The artist developed her techniques further while running a feminist-Marxist screen-printing
collective in Washington DC, so her early two-dimensional works made in New York were
based on the constellation of images used from different sources – appropriated from other
artists, the news, as well as corporate and military advertising imagery.
Bender was unstoppable in her explorations and soon she embraced the latest computer and
video technology as a tool for producing radical and quite subversive artworks. First, she
experimented with single-channel videos, and then with her immersive and large scale so-
called electronic theatre installations (for example, the installation Dumping Core from 1984
was made out of thirteen monitors and four channels). She even went further in articulating the
mainstream media by producing commercial works such as the iconic intro sequence for
America’s Most Wanted, or music videos for bands like Babes in Toyland, New Order, R.E.M.
Left: Gretchen Bender - Flash Art, 1987. Chromogenic print on masonite, steel, CRT monitor, and
lasercut vinyl 96h x 84w x 19d in / Right: Gretchen Bender - Untitled (The Pleasure is Back), 1982. Photo
silkscreen on enamel sign tin 70 x 70 in
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and the careful restoration of certain media components have been vital to making this exhibition
of Gretchen Bender's work an exemplary accomplishment.
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photographic installations, through to the archival material from her magnum opus, to the
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Gretchen Bender - Installation view of TV Text and Image (I'm Going to Die) at the Everson Museum,
Syracuse, New York, 1991. Live television broadcast on CRT monitor, vinyl lettering, and shelf. Courtesy
of the Gretchen Bender Estate and OSMOS.
Gretchen Bender at Red Bull Arts
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hypocrisy of smartphones, visual and data-tracking surveillance, the melding of politics and
entertainment, and fake news.
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screenings.
So Much Deathless will be on display at Red Bull Arts New York until 28 July 2019.
Featured images: Gretchen Bender - Military Escalation-Dare to be Stupid, 1986. Computer Animation/Spectacolor
Light Board 20’ x 40’ Part of Messages to the Public exhibition, 3/16/1986 – 3/30/1986. Artwork courtesy of: Jane
Dickson, Project Initiator and Animator Courtesy of Public Art Fund, NY; Gretchen Bender - Installation view of
TV Text and Image at the Donnell Library, New York, 1990. Live television broadcast on 12 monitors, vinyl
lettering, and shelves. Courtesy of the Gretchen Bender Estate and OSMOS. Courtesy Red Bull Arts New York.
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Nalini Malani - Taboo, 1973. Still. Black and white 16mm film transferred on digital medium, 1:58
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two reverse-painted cylinders positioned on long-playing turntables that enable the projected
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Nalini Malani - Listening to the Shades, detail, 2007. Acrylic, ink and enamel on acrylic sheet.
Polyptych, 42 panels, 45 x 66 cm each. Burger Collection, Hong Kong
Nalini Malani at Fundació Joan Miró
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subjectivity and criticism of the socially practiced modes of violence.
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the exhibition.
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Nalini Malani, 'You Don't Hear Me' at Fundació Joan Miró
Featured images: You Don’t Hear Me. Nalini Malani - Installation views. Fundació Joan Miró, Barcelona © Fundació Joan
Miró. Foto: Tanit Plana; Nalini Malani - The Tables Have Turned, 2008. Shadow play, 32 turntables, acrylic paint, ink, reverse
painting on 32 Mylar cylinders, sound piece performed by Alaknanda Samarth, 20 min; variable dimensions. Castello di Rivoli
Museo d’Arte Contemporanea, Rivoli-Torino © Fundació Joan Miró. Photo: Tanit Plana. All images courtesy Fundació Joan
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