Cybernethisms: Aldo Giorgini’s Computer Art Legacy

Working extensively as both artist and scientist, Aldo Giorgini (1934-1994) was one of the first computer artists to combine software writing with early printing technologies. His innovative process involved producing pen-plotted drawings that were embellished by painting, drawing, photography, and screen printing. This biography is the first to uncover the remarkable work and life of an underappreciated artist, providing insights into the innovative methods and computerized techniques he used to weave creations that seamlessly combined technological sophistication with artistic sensibility.

Buried manuscripts, documentation, and art taken directly from Giorgini’s former studio in Indiana have been used to tell the story of this digital pioneer. The book explores the artist’s life as a professor of civil engineering at Purdue University as well as providing a catalog of his artistic contributions. Placing his work in the context of the wider development of computer art, the book also presents a valuable contribution to the history of the field. Giorgini’s papers have been recently transferred to Purdue University’s Virginia Kelly Karnes Archives and Special Collections Research Center, where they will be preserved and made accessible for future researchers of digital media art history. While complete in itself, this book also plays an important role in contextualizing and providing an access point for that collection.