Cybernetic Serendipity
Encyclopedia
"Cybernetic Serendipity" was an exhibition of computer art
curated by Jasia Reichardt
, shown at the Institute of Contemporary Arts
, London in 1968, and then touring the United States.
produced by computers. Devices made musical effects and played tapes of sounds made by computers. Peter Zinovieff
lent part of his studio equipment - visitors could sing or whistle a tune into a microphone and his equipment would improvise a piece of music based on the tune.
Another part described computer projects such as Gustav Metzger
's self destructive Five screens with computer, a design for a new hospital, a computer programmed structure, and dance choreography.
The machines and installations were a very noticeable part of the exhibition. Gordon Pask
produced a collection of large mobiles with interacting parts that let the viewers join in the conversation. Many machines formed kinetic
environments or displayed moving images. Bruce Lacey
contributed his radio-controlled robots and a light-sensitive owl. Nam June Paik
was represented by Robot K-456 and televisions with distorted images. Jean Tinguely
provided two of his painting machines. Edward Ihnatowicz
's biomorphic hydraulic ear turned toward sounds and John Billigsey's Albert 1967 turned to face light. Several artists exhibited machines that drew patterns that the visitor could take away, or involved visitors in games. The computer company Honeywell
lent Emmet's whimsical Forget-me-not computer.
Another section explored the computer's ability to produce text - both essays and poetry. Different programs produced Haiku
, children's stories, and physics essays.
Computer generated movies were represented by John Whitney
's permutations and a Bell Labs
movie on their technology for producing movies. Some samples included images of teseracts rotating in four dimensions, a satellite orbiting the earth, and an animated data structure
.
Computer graphics
were also represented, including pictures produced on cathode ray oscilloscopes and digital plotters
. There was a variety of posters and graphics demonstrating the power of computers to do complex (and apparently random) calculations. Other graphics showed a simulated Mondrian
and the iconic decreasing squares spiral that appeared on the exhibition's poster and book. The Boeing Corporation exhibited their use of wireframe graphics.
magazine noted that there had been 40,000 visitors to the London exhibition.
which continued to explore the interaction between science, technology and art, and put on exhibitions (for example "Event One" at the Royal College of Art
).
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Computer art
Computer art is any art in which computers play a role in production or display of the artwork. Such art can be an image, sound, animation, video, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, videogame, web site, algorithm, performance or gallery installation...
curated by Jasia Reichardt
Jasia Reichardt
Jasia Reichardt is a British art critic, editor, curator, and gallery director with an interest in art and its intersection with other fields, especially technology.-Career:...
, shown at the Institute of Contemporary Arts
Institute of Contemporary Arts
The Institute of Contemporary Arts is an artistic and cultural centre on The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. It is located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps and Admiralty Arch...
, London in 1968, and then touring the United States.
Content
One part of the exhibition was concerned with algorithms and devices for generating music. Some exhibits were pamphlets describing the algorithms, whilst others showed musical notationMusical notation
Music notation or musical notation is any system that represents aurally perceived music, through the use of written symbols.-History:...
produced by computers. Devices made musical effects and played tapes of sounds made by computers. Peter Zinovieff
Peter Zinovieff
Peter Zinovieff is a British inventor of Russian ethnicity, most notable for his EMS company, which made the famous VCS3 synthesizer in the late 1960s...
lent part of his studio equipment - visitors could sing or whistle a tune into a microphone and his equipment would improvise a piece of music based on the tune.
Another part described computer projects such as Gustav Metzger
Gustav Metzger
Gustav Metzger is an artist and political activist who developed the concept of Auto-Destructive Art and the Art Strike. Together with John Sharkey, he initiated the Destruction in Art Symposium in 1966...
's self destructive Five screens with computer, a design for a new hospital, a computer programmed structure, and dance choreography.
The machines and installations were a very noticeable part of the exhibition. Gordon Pask
Gordon Pask
Andrew Gordon Speedie Pask was an English cybernetician and psychologist who made significant contributions to cybernetics, instructional psychology, experimental epistemology and educational technology....
produced a collection of large mobiles with interacting parts that let the viewers join in the conversation. Many machines formed kinetic
Kinetic energy
The kinetic energy of an object is the energy which it possesses due to its motion.It is defined as the work needed to accelerate a body of a given mass from rest to its stated velocity. Having gained this energy during its acceleration, the body maintains this kinetic energy unless its speed changes...
environments or displayed moving images. Bruce Lacey
Bruce Lacey
"Professor" Bruce Lacey, born 1927, remains one of Britain's great eccentrics. After completing his national service in the RAF he became established on the avantgarde scene with his performance art and mechanical constructs. He has been closely associated with The Alberts performance group and The...
contributed his radio-controlled robots and a light-sensitive owl. Nam June Paik
Nam June Paik
Nam June Paik was a Korean American artist. He worked with a variety of media and is considered to be the first video artist....
was represented by Robot K-456 and televisions with distorted images. Jean Tinguely
Jean Tinguely
Jean Tinguely was a Swiss painter and sculptor. He is best known for his sculptural machines or kinetic art, in the Dada tradition; known officially as metamechanics...
provided two of his painting machines. Edward Ihnatowicz
Edward Ihnatowicz
Edward Ihnatowicz was a cybernetic sculptor active in the late 1960s and early 1970s.His sculptures explored the interaction between his robotic works and the audience.....
's biomorphic hydraulic ear turned toward sounds and John Billigsey's Albert 1967 turned to face light. Several artists exhibited machines that drew patterns that the visitor could take away, or involved visitors in games. The computer company Honeywell
Honeywell
Honeywell International, Inc. is a major conglomerate company that produces a variety of consumer products, engineering services, and aerospace systems for a wide variety of customers, from private consumers to major corporations and governments....
lent Emmet's whimsical Forget-me-not computer.
Another section explored the computer's ability to produce text - both essays and poetry. Different programs produced Haiku
Haiku
' , plural haiku, is a very short form of Japanese poetry typically characterised by three qualities:* The essence of haiku is "cutting"...
, children's stories, and physics essays.
Computer generated movies were represented by John Whitney
John Whitney (animator)
John Whitney, Sr. was an American animator, composer and inventor, widely considered to be one of the fathers of computer animation.-Life:...
's permutations and a Bell Labs
Bell Labs
Bell Laboratories is the research and development subsidiary of the French-owned Alcatel-Lucent and previously of the American Telephone & Telegraph Company , half-owned through its Western Electric manufacturing subsidiary.Bell Laboratories operates its...
movie on their technology for producing movies. Some samples included images of teseracts rotating in four dimensions, a satellite orbiting the earth, and an animated data structure
Data structure
In computer science, a data structure is a particular way of storing and organizing data in a computer so that it can be used efficiently.Different kinds of data structures are suited to different kinds of applications, and some are highly specialized to specific tasks...
.
Computer graphics
Computer graphics
Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....
were also represented, including pictures produced on cathode ray oscilloscopes and digital plotters
Plotter
A plotter is a computer printing device for printing vector graphics. In the past, plotters were widely used in applications such as computer-aided design, though they have generally been replaced with wide-format conventional printers...
. There was a variety of posters and graphics demonstrating the power of computers to do complex (and apparently random) calculations. Other graphics showed a simulated Mondrian
Piet Mondrian
Pieter Cornelis "Piet" Mondriaan, after 1906 Mondrian , was a Dutch painter.He was an important contributor to the De Stijl art movement and group, which was founded by Theo van Doesburg. He evolved a non-representational form which he termed Neo-Plasticism...
and the iconic decreasing squares spiral that appeared on the exhibition's poster and book. The Boeing Corporation exhibited their use of wireframe graphics.
Attendance
TIMETime
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
magazine noted that there had been 40,000 visitors to the London exhibition.
After-Effects
The exhibition provided the energy for the formation of British Computer Arts SocietyComputer Arts Society
The Computer Arts Society was founded in 1968, in order to encourage the creative use of computers in the arts.- Foundation :The three founder members of the Society – Alan Sutcliffe, George Mallen, and John Lansdown – had been involved with computing and its related concepts for some time...
which continued to explore the interaction between science, technology and art, and put on exhibitions (for example "Event One" at the Royal College of Art
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
).
External links
- Reichardt, Jasia (ed), Cybernetic Serendipity, the computer and the arts, Studio International Special Issue, London England
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