Goerg Nees

George Nees (1926–2016) was a German pioneer of computer art and generative graphics, widely recognized as one of the founders of algorithmic and digital art1256. With a background in mathematics, physics, and philosophy, Nees began his career as a mathematician and software engineer at Siemens, where he first experimented with computer programming as a creative medium in the late 1950s256. He was among the first artists to write his own algorithms and use digital plotters-such as the Zuse Graphomat Z64-to create art, translating code into precise geometric drawings and systematic patterns.

Themes and Inspiration
Nees’s work explores the intersection of art, mathematics, and technology, focusing on how order and randomness can coexist within algorithmic systems56. His pieces are characterized by geometric shapes, repetitive patterns, and a systematic approach, reflecting his fascination with the mathematical foundations of visual aesthetics. By introducing random variables into his programs, Nees investigated how simple rules could generate complex, unpredictable visual results6.

Why George Nees?
George Nees stands out as an artist-engineer who saw the computer not as a mere tool but as a creative partner. He believed that the act of programming was itself an artistic gesture, and that machines could expand the possibilities of artistic expression. His pioneering use of algorithms and plotters laid the groundwork for the entire field of generative art and continues to inspire artists working at the intersection of logic, randomness, and creativity.

Nees’s work was featured in the world’s first public exhibition of computer-generated art, “computer grafik” at the Technische Hochschule Stuttgart in 1965, and he was the first to publicly show computer art globally. His art has since been exhibited internationally, including at the Victoria and Albert Museum (London) and ZKM Center for Art and Media (Karlsruhe), and is held in numerous public and private collections.

Website
No official artist website; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Nees

Interviews