Laurence Gartel: Fifty Years of Digital Art

Tuesday, May 11th from 7-8:30am experience a riveting lecture by Laurence Gartel, the “Father of Digital Art”, at Sailboat Bend Artist Lofts in Fort Lauderdale on how far Digital Art has gone in the last 50-years. It will be a survey through technology, materials, and projects.

Laurence Gartel, the “Father of Digital Art” is currently working on an encyclopedia of his entire career. He is organizing three (3) books, five-hundred pages each, which will go through Fifty years pioneering the aesthetics of Digital Art. In his efforts to tell his story, Gartel has uncovered some rather amazing gems: Images from “Day 1 / Hour 1” when he first came upon the computer systems of Media Study/Buffalo in 1976. Other amazing findings going through his archives are pencil and marker images that represent his ill father’s EKG and oscilloscope images from the late 70s. As Gartel lived n NYC during the height of the Punk Rock era he has uncovered many photographs of Debbie Harry (Blondie) front row while she was performing. Gartel’s life long friend “Nina” who was his early Muse collaborated for a series of images called “Metamorphosis” in 1978. Discovering the original silver prints was a true treasure. These works are included in his landmark monograph book: “GARTEL Arte e Tecnologia” published by Edizioni Mazzota, Milan, Italy in 1998. Art Historian Pierre Restany who wrote the Introduction called Gartel, “A Fabulist of our times.” Now Gartel forever reinventing has created the Art Puzzle “Shashibo” (Shape Shifting Box) which is available in every Barnes & Nobles in the United States. This is “Art you can touch” and with numerous cubes you can make into unique sculptures.

Gartel will be giving a lecture discussing the history of his work. The visuals will give people a true concept of how far Digital Art has gone in the last 50-years. It will be a survey through technology, materials, and projects. Space will be limited due to Covid: Please RSVP: email Gartel@aol.com for confirmation.