Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a drawing by Harold Cohen. It dates from 1987 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Harold Cohen made this drawing in 1987 using a computer program he wrote himself.
Harold Cohen made this drawing in 1987 using a computer program he wrote himself. The software could turn real-world shapes into lines on paper. This image shows human figures and plants, all drawn in outline style.
Cohen started Aaron while working at Stanford’s Artificial Intelligence Lab. By the late 1980s, the program could create detailed line drawings like this one.
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Overview
Created in 1987, this drawing is the product of Harold Cohen’s self‑programmed software, Aaron. The work consists of linear outlines that render several human figures alongside Cohen’s characteristic stylized foliage, all rendered in monochrome.
Subject & Meaning
The composition juxtaposes simplified human silhouettes with intricate plant forms, reflecting Cohen’s ongoing exploration of the relationship between organic life and algorithmic representation. The figures are rendered as basic contours, while the foliage displays a more elaborate, signature pattern.
Technique & Style
Aaron translates three‑dimensional shapes into two‑dimensional line work by converting geometric data into strokes on paper. By the late 1980s the program could assemble a library of real‑world forms, allowing it to generate detailed, continuous outlines rather than the earlier, purely abstract lines.
History & Provenance
Cohen, originally trained as a painter, represented Britain at the 1966 Venice Biennale before moving into academia. In 1968 he joined the University of California, San Diego as a visiting professor, where he first encountered computer programming. He later became a visiting scholar at Stanford’s Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, where he developed Aaron.
Context
The drawing emerges from a period when artists were increasingly experimenting with digital media. Cohen’s work bridges traditional drawing practices with emerging computational methods, situating him among early pioneers who integrated artificial intelligence into visual art.
Artist & collection
Artist
Harold Cohen was a British-born artist who was noted as the creator of AARON, a computer program designed to produce paintings and drawings autonomously, which set it apart from previous programs.
