Artwork
'BIGDIM
'BIGDIM is a drawing by Paul Brown. It dates from 1979 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
The code told a pen plotter where to move, drawing straight lines across paper.
Paul Brown made this drawing in 1979 using a computer program. The code told a pen plotter where to move, drawing straight lines across paper. One program could make many versions like this.
He called this piece BIGDIM / 0 3 6 3 0 0 0 / 200, 120 / 11,969. The numbers in the title come from data the code picked to shape the lines. The Victoria and Albert Museum owns four drawings from the same program.
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Overview
Paul Brown's 'BIGDIM / 0 3 6 3 0 0 0 / 200, 120 / 11,969' is a 1979 drawing created using a computer program that controlled a pen plotter to produce straight lines on paper.
Technique & Style
The artist wrote code that generated a series of drawings, of which this is one example. The title incorporates data selected by the program to structure the drawing, highlighting the algorithmic process behind the work.
History & Provenance
The Victoria and Albert Museum owns four drawings produced using the same code, including this one. Brown developed his practice at the Slade's Experimental Department in the 1970s, a hub for computer art.
Context
Brown's work reflects an interest in systems and generative processes, which led him to begin using computers in his art in 1974.
Artist & collection
Artist
Paul Eugene Brown was an American football coach and executive in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), the National Football League (NFL), and the American Football League (AFL).
