In the beginning, there was the analogue. An alternative history of the beginnings of computer art

Abstract

Since the late 1960s, the historiography of computer art has been developing a canon that is progressively broadening. However, this canon reveals significant blind spots, particularly due to the predominant success of digital computers leading to computer art being almost exclusively identified with digital technology. This identification overlooks other significant classes of computers, notably analogue and hybrid systems, leaving the contributions, artworks, and ideas of many early pioneers in the field unrecognized. Consequently, the history of art created with analogue and hybrid computers remains largely unexplored both in art history and media archaeology. This article seeks to illuminate this relatively obscure chapter of history by introducing the individuals and projects that utilized analogue computers, drawing on previously unknown historical sources. The aim is to underscore the historical significance of a technology that is currently experiencing a resurgence of interest in the field of computer science. The findings reveal that before the advent of artistic experiments with digital computers, analogue computers were the subject of pioneering exploration. The real-time intuitive operation of analogue computers was a unique advantage, foreshadowing a human-machine relationship now commonplace with digital technology. The narrative of the analogue computer constitutes an essential domain for understanding the diversity of computing technologies at the dawn of the computer age. Despite the scarcity of sources documenting these artistic endeavors, this article serves as a call to action for further research in this neglected area.