Paintbox Art 1984

Michèle Gauthier Carr-Brown computer art

Above: Michèle Gauthier Carr-Brown computer art

We published paintbox images by a Michèle Gauthier Carr-Brown, a French artist still working today, in the Micro Arts Group Magazine, 1984. This was prior to David Hockney’s ‘Painting With Light’ BBC series in 1986, and later iPad paint work.

The first Paintbox system was invented by the British company Quantel and had 24 bit color (8 bits per channel plus overlays) and a pressure-sensitive pen for drawing and painting. It could also add and manipulate text.

Others followed suit with Paint programs using simliar ideas, and Adobe launched Photoshop later in the decade. Much simpler Paint programs were also made for micro computers such as the  Commodore Amiga, ZX Spectrum, etc.

Michèle’s work was done on a French Lumina machine (we think, no-one can remember). See below for her story.

For more information on Quantel now, Adrian Wilson is the lead expert, and owns one of the few working models. @quantelpaintbox / visit https://www.instagram.com/quantelpaintbox/

Michèle Gauthier Carr-Brown – Personal comment

“For my master courses in Fine Arts, I have worked with Sonia Sheridan and Greg Gundlach, generative systems, Arts and Science. They exhibited their works in Exposition Electra 1983 at the Musée de la Ville de Paris, au Trocadéro, in 1983-84. [see Chirac link below.]

In the eighties, when I started advertising work in Paris, computing was not involved, except for the photo-composition of the text. Then, some guy walked into the Agency with a Paint Box, from Quantel [now thought to be a Lumena system, after Adrian Wilson examined the menus in the images. The term ‘Quantel’ became generic, as the main supplier].

I was the only one who spoke English and wanted to play with it ! Did I play! long hours until late at night, days after days… I burned my eyes on it… Later came Quark Xpress, for the text, Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. Brilliant experiences.” Michèle Gauthier Carr-Brown, Paris, 2019 

See

Sonia Sheridan with Jacques Chirac, Paris, 1983

https://www.fondation-langlois.org/html/e/media.php?NumObjet=65360

See also the People page.

Blog:  Adrian Wilson (see Interview)

 

Michèle Gauthier Carr-Brown computer art

Above: more ofMichèle Gauthier Carr-Brown’s computer art

michele-g-notes2.jpgmichele-g-notes1.jpg

Above: Michèle Gauthier Carr-Brown Notebooks

M Carr-Brown Quantel art 1984

Above: Images in the Micro Arts Magazine 1984.

Sonia Sheridan with Jacques Chirac, Paris, 1983:

Chirac at Exposition Electra 1983 with Sheridan