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Explorers The artists presented for this Gallery are explorers of the visual world who push the limits of new technology beyond the obvious into new realms of perception. Each has developed a very personal expression in creating new forms that draw on a range of sensory experience with the help of technical tools and scientificdata. Roman Verostko,artist and historian, brings to his art the rich resources of religious art and philosophy, along with exceptional computer technology. As a scholar at the MassachusettsInstitue of TechnologyCenter for Advanced Visual Studies (MIT CAVS), as a faculty member at MinneapolisCollege of Art and Design and through numerous exhibitions and publications,he has focused on the “artfactor”while expanding the electronic arts movement. In developinghis original software and plotter-brush paintings , he has used the computer as an extension of his own creative powers. In the Airplayerseries of Sara Garden Armstrong,one can observe a growing mastery of multifaceted media and the inclusion of increasingly sophisticatedtechnology. Large handmade paper forms,hoses, blower boxes and sound are elements in the language she uses, always articulated within the parameters of a given installation space. In her later works, one can see a shiftfrom mechanical to electronic controls of the air sounds-reminiscent of sea and wind-and an increase in the artist’smix of “real”and digital.Wire mesh and paper forms have become powerful humanoid shapes and, when combined with movement and sound, suggest the basic mechanisms of life support and human functions. The artist does not hesitate to seek collaborationwith technical specialistsand in so doing has accelerated the development of her art. The late Dale Eldred was well-trained in both art and science, and the combination gave him the freedom to undertake projects of impressive scope. His massive light-responsive installationshave been featured in exhibitions here and abroad. One can see his major permanent works in many parts of the United States,as well as in numerous museum collections.Among many honors bestowed him was his being selected as a subject in “Challengeof the Unknown,”an educational film seriesproduced under the direction of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Lesswell known are his drawings and scenographic designsfor four original ballet works. Some of his later works are included here. Dale’s tragic death, in a fall while trying to save his art from an impending flood, cut short a brilliant body of work. We have lost a generous and gifted spirit. ANNA CAMPBELL BLISS Artist, Consultant 27 UniversityStreet Salt Lake City, UT 84102 U.S.A. 01995 BAST LEONARDO,Vol. 28, No. 4, pp. 239-242,1994 239 Roman Verostko, (a) Gaia Triptych (open),41 x 76 in, 1992. (b) Gaia Triptych (closed), 41 x 38 in, 1992. (c)Diamond Lake Apocalypse Series: Heaven and Earth, 22 x 30 in, 1994. Artists are experiencing change in the ways they conceive of themselves and their artmaking processes. With original software and paint brushes modified for the plotter, I have created computer-generated works that have a strong resemblance to earlier work from my own hand.Of particular interest to me is the algorithmas an art-form generator that the artist initiates but cannot visualize without computing power. These software features may well be commonplace in the practice of art in the next generation. For the Gaia Series, a great deal of symmetryevolved during the refining of earlier routines. A single set of coordinates became initiators and was randomly cast by the program. A transformation capabilityand some form of scripting are included in the forms generated for the &amond LakeApocalypse Series. These works are created as “precious objects” to heighten their formal relationship to illuminated sacred manuscripts. The plotter now becomes an “electronic scriptor,” followingthe procedures reminiscent of the medieval scriptorium. Works of this series invite contemplation of their beauty and mystery, less for their logic than the poetry they yield. artist on Magnani paper, with software by the artist. (RomanVerostko, 5535 Clinton Avenue South, Minneapolis , MN 55419, USA. Email: .) Technical information: personal computer, Houston Instruments Multipen Plotter with i n k smixed by the 240 Leonardo Gallery (b) Sara GardenArmstrong, (a)SkinRuck 2 + Airplayer XU?, 1991.(b)Abacu WuU Buds 1 4 ,paper...

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