Monobloc @ Beta X

Leicester Digital Art Pioneers

March/April 2022, Beta X, 72 Church Gate, Leicester

4th April - 22nd April 2022

Computational Art in Leicester and Leicestershire

Leicester Digital Art Pioneers

Leicester and Leicestershire has an important role in the development of digital and computational art. Starting with Stroud Cornock and Ernest Edmonds at Leicester Polytechnic in the late 1960s, the region has an unbroken chain of artists who have worked with computers and computational processes up until the present day.

Interact Digital Arts and the Computer Arts Archive are now working together to document this history through the collection of artworks, ephemera and artist interviews. This small exhibition is an initial presentation of some of the work collected so far. As the collection develops we plan to exhibit it more widely across Leicester, Leicestershire, and further afield.

A key figure in the development of digital art in the area is Ernest Edmonds who started working at Leicester Polytechnic in the nearly 1970s, before moving to Loughborough University in the 1980s, then Australia, before taking up a role at De Montfort University (formerly Leicester Polytechnic) in the 2010s.

The artwork being shown at the Beta X space has been split into two parts. In part one (9th - 16th March 2022) the exhibition includes images by Ernest Edmonds and Sean Clark. In part two (4th April - 22nd April 2022) there is work by Stephen Scrivener and Stephen Bell, plus a different piece each by Ernest Edmonds and Sean Clark. Sean Clark, Stephen Scrivener and Stephen Bell all studied for PhDs under Edmonds.

Exhibition Launch - Friday 8th April 2022

Artists

Artists in the collection, together with their Leicester and Leicestershire academic connections.

Ernest Edmonds

Ernest Edmonds

www.ernestedmonds.com

Leicester University 1961-1964 (Student)
Leicester Polytechnic 1967-1985 (Research Assistant > Professor)
Loughborough University 1985-2002 (Professor)
De Montfort University 2011- (Professor > Emeritus Professor)

Stephen Scrivener

Stephen Scrivener

www.stephenscrivener.com

Leicester Polytechnic 1969-1972 (Fine Art Student)
Leicester Polytechnic 1974-1986 (PhD Student to Lecturer)
Loughborough University 1986-1992 (Lecturer > Senior Lecturer)

Stephen Bell

Stephen Bell

stephenbell.art

Loughborough University (1985 - 1989, PhD Student)

Sean Clark

Loughborough University 1984-1988 (Undergraduate Student)
Loughborough University 1989-1995 (Research Assistant)
De Montfort University 2009-2018 (PhD Student, p/t)
De Montfort University 2018- (Visiting Research Fellow)

More Information (PDF)

Leicester Digital Art Pioneers.pdf

Artist Talks, April 28th 2022

Exhibition at Beta X - March/April 2022

Sean Clark & Ernest Edmonds

March 2022: Sean Clark & Ernest Edmonds

Stephen Scrivener

April 2022: Stephen Scrivener

Stephen Bell

April 2022: Stephen Bell

Ernest Edmonds

April 2022: Ernest Edmonds

Sean Clark

April 2022: Sean Clark

Supporters

This exhibition has been made possible by:

Hi Street Heritage Action Zone
LCB Depot
Interact Digital Arts
Beta X