Curators Statement

This exhibition arose from an idea that there should be a display of computer-generated imagery in Cleveland. Coincidentally. it had occurred to each of us separately, in a nebulous form, but it took the collaboration of our two organisations — Cleveland County Museum Service and Cleveland Arts — to enable it to happen. At the outset, neither side realised how little support was available for artists who use computers to make art.

We were aware of the lack of large-scale exhibitions on the subject, but it was only as we were talking to artists that it became clear that this was symptomatic of a general ignorance, not to say indifference on the part of the wider art-world. It seemed increasingly important that we should provide a platform which would show the diversity of work produced in Britain. This basic concept snowballed. arousing astonishingly high levels of interest and proving how necessary the exhibition was,

‘Art and Computers’ is no more definitive than any show can hope. to be which is based on open submission. However, the 39 artists, chosen by an independent panel, demonstrate by their quality and diversity the richness and potential of the field, and contradict the dismissive attitude which regards all computer-generated images as a minor branch of graphic design. We hope that this exhibition will encourage greater support for this area of activity in which many British artists have been involved with distinction for many years. (The uniquely successful interaction between artists and industry in this field maybe cited as evidence of this).

We hope also that other curators and other galleries will be encouraged to cast wider, and dig deeper, in future explorations of the relationships between artists and computers. We would especially like to thank. Chris Briscoe. Graham Howard, Alan Sekers and Darrell Viper for their work in selecting the exhibition: the selectors were offered inclusion in the exhibition on the basis of a ‘selectors section’ and we hope that this will give a context to the final exhibits and exhibitiors. We are also grateful to Robin Baker. Len Breen, Dru Harvey and Claire Nelomes for their invaluable advice and assistance in the early stages of getting the exhibition off the ground, and to John Lansdowne, Martin Reiser and Graham Howard for providing the introductory essays. Special thanks is also due to Janet Simmonds for all her work with the organisation of the exhibition. Finally, and by no means least, we gratefully acknowledge the financial help of Northern Arts, which is in keeping with its forward looking policy and practice of support for new challenging projects.

• Steve Chettle, UK. Visual Arts Officer Cleveland Arts
• Mike Hill, UKJ.  Museum Officer Cleveland County Museum Service