Thinking Machines generative art exhibition Berlin June 2023

Geoff Davis and Micro Arts Group are in THE THINKING MACHINE exhibition from Expanded Art / Anika Meier in Berlin,  Tuesday 6th June 2023 to 27th June.

Please visit https://www.expanded.art/exhibitions/the-thinking-machine

See PHOTOS below.

“The exhibition presents pioneers from different generations, early 1950s until today, working in the field of generative art. On view will be, among others, plotter drawings, generative photography, sculptures, and NFTs from 25 international artists.”

New format digital art of MA1 “Abstract Originals” is available from elementum

Thanks to Anika Meier, Georg Bak, Margaret Murphy and everyone else who helped put on this AMAZING exhibition.


Photos:

Anika Meier with me; Margaret Murphy next to Micro Arts MA1 Lines artwork; Margaret Murphy with me; Art sign by Joachim Bosse, WWWISDOM, 1; “kryptonite” sculpture by Claudia Hart.


Artists: Ai-Da Robot, Victor Acevedo, Vladimir Bonačić, Analivia Cordeiro, Pierre Cordier, Geoff Davis, Hans Dehlinger, Primavera de Filippi, Herbert W. Franke, Hein Gravenhorst, Ira Greenberg, Samia Halaby, Heinrich Heidersberger, Karl Martin Holzhäuser, Roger Humbert, Gottfried Jäger, Mario Klingemann, Zach Lieberman, LoVid, Kevin and Jennifer McCoy, Lee Mullican, Frieder Nake, Aaron Penne, Manuel Rossner, Marcel Schwittlick, Travess Smalley, Marina Zurkow.

elementum.art launch new cube video and Grid 88 history

Launch of new Micro Arts Cube videos and Micro Arts Grid 88
with elementum.art on Wednesday 22 Feb 2023 – Zurich Switzerland.

Georg Bak and Geoff Davis Zurich 2023 elementum.art
ZX Spectrum, Micro Arts Magazine, Grid 88 on wall – Georg Bak and Geoff Davis Zurich 2023 elementum.art
Geoff Davis & Georg Bak curator of elementum.art
Geoff Davis & Georg Bak, curator, elementum.art
MA4 Story Generator Geoff Davis
MA4 Story Generator Geoff Davis
geoff Davis Georg Bak Zurich 2023
geoff Davis Georg Bak Zurich 2023
elementum art Micro Arts drop
Catalogue for elementum art Micro Arts drop

Geoff Davis of Micro Arts Group is live on Instagram in Zurich 4pm Central European time 22/2/2023. Visit elementum on Insta to find out more.

Please click here to visit elementum.art blog for details – there are 3 posts

This is our third exhibition in three years. There are 4 of our special cube videos, and a new 88 image grid of the 40 year history, starting with my code for MA1 in 1983 (BASIC screen shot) and ending with the new Spatial VR Micro Arts gallery.

 

Music on home micros ZX Spectrum 1980s from Aphex Twin Richard D James

Music on the ZX Spectrum. Aphex Twin (Richard D James) in an interview in this documentary, at 2 minutes 24 seconds to 3:26 (link below).

“Early influences were more hardware in nature. An early touchstone was the game loading sound for the early home computer, the Spectrum ZX81.”

Says Richard:

“People who had them must have spent hours listening to hat. Its more extreme than any extreme noise music. In time you got to know the sound really well: “Ooh, good bit coming up here.”

It was always the best , sonically, when it tried to load a picture. It would be “lryurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrghh!”

I always wanted to make my music sound like a game! A danceable version of a Spectrum game.”

Micro Arts Group exhibition London BCS 2022

Micro Arts Group exhibition curated by Computer Arts Archive CAA, at British Computer Society BCS Moorgate London, as part of the EVA conference.

Exhibition launch was 4th July 2022 by Professor Sean Clark and Geoff Davis.

Online exhibition below – to see videos of Micro Arts work please use the menu above.

Live event invite is here:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/computer-arts-society-eva-progress-on-the-cas-archive-tickets-368842346387

Micro Arts Group at BCS Events Calendar

Previous exhibitions were in Leicester 2021 – see here

Sean Clark Micro Arts Group exhibition London 2022 at BCS
Prof. Sean Clark launching Micro Arts Group exhibition London 2022 at BCS

BCS Moorgate Micro Arts exhibition 2022

Micro Arts Group exhibition London 2022 at BCS

Micro Arts Group exhibition London 2022 at BCS
Micro Arts Group exhibition London 2022 at BCS
Micro Arts Group exhibition London 2022 at BCS
Micro Arts Group exhibition London 2022 at BCS
Micro Arts Group exhibition London 2022 at BCS
Micro Arts Group exhibition London 2022 at BCS
Micro Arts Group exhibition London 2022 at BCS
Micro Arts Group exhibition London 2022 at BCS
Micro Arts Group exhibition London 2022 at BCS
Micro Arts Group exhibition London 2022 at BCS
Micro Arts Group exhibition London 2022 at BCS
Micro Arts Group exhibition London 2022 at BCS
Lifetime Award from Graham Diprose CAS Micro Arts BCS London
Lifetime Award for Graham Diprose CAS Micro Arts BCS London
Micro Arts BCS London
Micro Arts BCS London
Sean Clark introducing the Computer Arts Archive, and Micro Arts exhibition, at BCS Moorgate London
Sean Clark introducing the Computer Arts Archive, and Micro Arts exhibition, at BCS Moorgate London
Jon Weinel Explosions in the Mind book launch at Computer Arts Society BCS
Jon Weinel Explosions in the Mind book launch at Computer Arts Society BCS

Adrian Wilson Quantel art photography exhibition Blackpool Jan-Feb 2022

Blackpool School of Arts is currently exhibiting Adrian Wilson’s 1980’s Quantel Paintbox manipulated photography, including two pieces from the 1988 Art & Computers show at Cleveland Gallery and a whole display of Quantel artefacts.
This is the first solo exhibition of Adrian’s pioneering digitally manipulated photography.
Adrian Wilson exhibition Blackpool
Adrian Wilson exhibition Blackpool
Adrian will be at the gallery on Thursday 3rd February from 5-8pm for a private view and would love to meet you there in person.
If you can’t make it to Blackpool before the exhibition ends on 18th February, here is a link to a virtual tour.

8-bit Micro Arts exhibition LCB Leicester June 2021

Micro Arts exhibition at the LCB Depot, 31 Rutland St, Leicester LE1 1RE until Saturday 26 June 2021. Curated by Sean Clark of the Computer Arts Archive & Computer Arts Society, UK.

Geoff Davis

Geoff doing a talk 9/6/2021 at the 8-bit Micro Arts Exhibition Leicester 2021. Images from MA1 (Lines) and MA2 (Studio) on display.

This big show had image stills from most of Geoff Davis‘s work from the MA1 “Abstract Originals” release, plus some from MA2 Various Unusual Events along with Martin Rootes MA3 release. There was a page from Geoff’s MA4 Story Generator.

There was a real time live run of the MA1 algorhythmic art, which means the 1980s code was providing live ambient art, as intended in the notes for the original data cassette.

There were displays of the artefacts like data cassettes and deck, and the Micro Arts Magazine. See the navigation here for more details of the MA releases, and the videos etc.

Lots of photos below, and more on a link at the bottom.

The main info page on Interact Digital Arts is here

Plus two 8-bit micro controlled installations are in the exhibition, an interactive audio piece from Virtual Ground and a visual sculpture by Sean Clark, both of which used 8-bit micro controllers. Please note the MA1 art was 4-bit. The spectrum colour system is quite limited, so extra creativity was required, see Spectrum Graphic Modes Wiki

Photo credits: Sean Clark

Micro Arts Exhibition Leicester 2021
Micro Arts Exhibition Leicester 2021 – MA4 Story Generator on display

 

 

8-bit exhibition, Micro Arts, Leicester

 

 

 

8-bit Micro Arts LCB exhib poster
8-bit LCB exhib poster

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All photo credits in the set below (covering set up and talks): Sean Clark

For more photos of setup and talk click here 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From LCB Depot website:

Events
Weds 9th June 2021 – 6-8pm

Evening viewing

Join the artists for the launch of the show and as part of the of the 8-bit exhibition, short talks from Micro Arts founder Geoff Davis and exhibition curator Sean Clark from the Computer Arts Archive. You will need to wear a facemask in the gallery. Talks start at 7pm. Grays Cafe Bar will be open for drinks in the courtyard.

 

 

 

 

 

Micro Arts in Computer Arts Society National Archive

2020 November: In National Archive

Micro Arts is in the new Computer Arts Archive (British Computer Society)
Visit Computer Art Archive here.

Geoff Davis Computer Arts Society Archive
Geoff Davis Computer Arts Society Archive

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Computer Arts Society Archive Geoff Davis Micro Arts
Computer Arts Society Archive Geoff Davis Micro Arts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2020 October: Exhibitions

There are 2+1 exhibitions next year [2021], two for Micro Arts (London and Leicester with Sean Clark) and a show of new AI based work (London UAL, tbc). There is a paper by Sean Clark on Micro Arts in the EVA London conference in summer 2021.

New 1980s computer art & music timeline

The 1980s timeline is on the top menu, I will add some images soon. Or just click here for the timeline start page. This also has a lot of music technology events.

This will also be included in the 2nd edition of the Micro Arts History book, due out soon on Leopard Print Publishing London.

I also simplified the menus, any confusion please let me know.

More news soon about the Computer Arts Archive.

Also we are doing fine art prints of the computer art here, in various sizes,  these will be out soon. All prints will be numbered and have a Certificate. Also some memorabilia in the shape of the four data cassettes. If you are interested please request details using the Contact form.

If you are interested in AI and text generation, I’ve put a blog on my personal site about my recent AI text research – click here (new page).

NEWS- Micro Arts Exhibition

There is an exhibition in November 2020 to launch the Computer Arts Archive, which features Micro Arts. POSTPONED to summer 2021.

INSTEAD, VISIT NEW SITE NOW – Computer Arts Archive (special group of British Computer Society)

Micro Arts Group Geoff Davis MA2 Various Unusual Events The Piano Bar red generative computer art
Micro Arts Group Geoff Davis MA2 Various Unusual Events The Piano Bar red generative computer art

 

 

 

Talk

Geoff Davis talking about Micro Arts, his 1980s computer art group

Computer Arts Society, 9/6/2020

Video to be posted here soon.

geoffdavis5  gmail  com

or use Contact on the this site.

Micro Arts – produced a range of computer art for popular micros, and a paper magazine. Programmed, curated by Geoff, with contributions from friends, male, female, UK, US, France.

Aim was to start a new computer arts group, educate and perhaps sell a few art data cassettes. Later it all went onto Prestel national teletext.

Modelled on art groups London Video Arts and London Film-Makers Co-op; and indie record labels. This was my social background at the time.

Was intended to be a community, inclusive, diverse, populist, grass roots political. No ‘authority’. Not academic, I left University in 1980 and wasn’t thinking of it. No CAS at the time.

Was well reviewed by mainstream computer press, see Reviews.

No internet so hard to market.

Many outputs:

  • algorithmic art and animations, MA1 by Geoff Davis and MA3 by Martin Rootes)
  • conceptual (long form 2 years, math/code art, Dada word generator etc.), MA2 by Geoff Davis
  • graphic feminist/political animations, Money Work System from SCUM Manifesto, MA2
  • text generation from a story about the 1980s epidemic of prion mad cow disease BSE, MA4 by Geoff Davis (exhibited at LFMC show, and later distributed on Prestel teletext).

I had a few stories published, this is one of my competing activities. See my section in People.

The print Magazine was free. Full of informative articles, not reviews. (Magazine is on this site.)

Prestel was on invitation from EMAP but that took some of the momentum out of it, then I started working commercially again.  See Prestel page.

Also got involved in so-called ‘pirate TV’ NetWork 21. (No pirates, but lots of art, fashion.)

For more from the various contributors see People page.

CAS was not around at this point. Only contact I had was Harold Cohen (art machines) by letter in US,  who was famously uninterested in ‘computer art’ as a scene. He told me all art was about marketing. He was in academia, which operates as a huge marketing funnel (as well as providing work for artists).

Personal history

Before Micro Arts I was working in commercial COBOL programming (using pencils) on a Univac 1100 mainframe, and also Vax minis.

After Micro Arts, networking (at Prudential, first use of networked ‘personal computers’ IBM PC ATs in dealing room, no-one there had experience of micros, it was large IBM mainframe site).

Later, worked in new computer graphics lab at Sheffield Hallam University, Psalter Lane art college (12 x Unix Apollo workstations,  2D and 3D modelling and animation, CGAL (Peter Comninos) etc.).

Later still, London Institute teaching, then web industry, apps.

Now computers and text researcher at UAL CCI, Camberwell art college. Still in early stages.

1980s

Huge change in tech from 1980 (mainframes, coding with pencils) to 1990 (workstations). Micros appeared and improved over decade.

Warhol used Amiga, etc. – computers becoming unavoidable in art, design, music, film, smaller businesses.

Early artists moved into commercial work.

What is use now?

Archive, historical.

Educational examples – what can be done with relatively simple computers – hands on – Raspberry Pi

Artworks and merchandise on sale here soon  – archival prints, reprint of Magazine, MA1, MA2, MA3, MA4 Data Cassettes, Magazine 2, previously unpublished.