Art and Code: The Aesthetic Legacy of Aldo Giorgini

In 1975 Aldo Giorgini developed a software program in FORTRAN called FIELDS that was a numerical visual laboratory devoted entirely to art production. Working extensively as both artist and scientist, Giorgini was one of the first computer artists that combined software writing with early printing technologies, leaving an aesthetic legacy in the field of the digital arts. His individual process was innovative in that it consisted of producing pen plotted drawings that were embellished by the artist’s hand with painting, drawing and screen-printing.

This paper is the product of a multi-year study of Giorgini’s primary source materials that were provided by his estate. We examine the methods used by Giorgini during the 1970s that allowed him to create computer aided art. We publish this work to ensure that future generations of digital artists, technologists and scientists can be educated and inspired by Giorgini’s contribution to the field of computer graphics.