Manfred Mohr is an esteemed figure in the realm of software-based art. In the early 1960s, he chanced upon the writings of Professor Max Bense on the subject of information aesthetics. These texts revolutionized Mohr’s artistic perspective, leading to a transformation from abstract expressionism to computer-generated algorithmic geometry in just a few years. Encouraged by renowned computer music composer Pierre Barbaud, whom he met in 1967, Mohr delved into programming and created his first computer drawings in 1969, utilizing the Fortran IV language to produce intricate compositions in the form of ink drawings on paper.
Mohr initiated his research at the Faculty of Vincennes, Paris in 1969, joining the “Art et Informatique” group and co-founding their seminar. However, in the beginning, he lacked access to a plotter at the facility and had to meticulously draw his computer calculations as printed xy points by hand on paper. This proved to be a challenging and tedious process, prompting him to seek a superior solution.
In 1970, Mohr reached out to the Institute of Meteorology in Paris and was granted access to a Benson 1284 flatbed plotter and a CDC 6400 computer, which were the most advanced machines of that time. He dedicated long hours every night from 1970 to 1983 at the institute, combining research with programming to create his one-of-a-kind artworks. Employing algorithms to calculate images, Mohr pioneered the concept of a logical and automatic construction of pictures.
Before gaining access to the Institute of Meteorology, Mohr’s earliest drawings were produced on a light pen plotter in 1969, as well as on a large Zuse flatbed plotter at the University of Darmstadt in Germany in 1970. His first major museum exhibition, Une esthétique programmée, was held in 1971 at the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. This exhibition has now solidified his place in history as the first artist to have a solo exhibition in a museum entirely comprising of works generated and drawn by a digital computer. During the exhibit, Mohr publicly demonstrated his process of drawing his computer-generated imagery for the first time using a Benson flatbed plotter. Drawing from the logical structure of cubes, Mohr’s pieces are a true manifestation of enigmatic complexity and linguistic dynamism.
www.ftn-books.com has several Mohr publications available including some screen prints.
