Visualing Poetry With 1960s Computer Graphics - AT&T Archives

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From 1964 through around 1969, artist Stan VanDerBeek worked with computer scientist Ken Knowlton on a series of films:
PoemField No. 1 (1965)
PoemField No. 2 (1966) (this one, with a free jazz soundtrack by Paul Motian)
PoemField No. 3 (1967)
PoemField No. 4 (no date)
PoemField No. 5 (1967)
PoemField No. 6 (no date)
PoemField No. 7 (1971)
PoemField No. 8 (no date)
Collido-Oscope (1966) (VanDerBeek, Knowlton and Bosche)
Man and His World, 1967 (shown at Expo '67)
Each film was constructed using Knowlton's BEFLIX computer language, which was based on FORTRAN. The films were programmed on a IBM 7094 computer. The films were created in black and white, with color added later by Brown and Olvey. This particular version is taken from a film with some color decay.
VanDerBeek passed away in 1984. He is also part of the film Incredible Machine, made in 1968. VanDerBeek was part of a unique program at Bell Labs that allowed artists to work with computer scientists in order to explore and advance the technology in the fields of computer graphics and music. The program was given tacit approval by department head John Robinson Pierce, yet was not a formal arrangement within the Labs.
Footage Courtesy of AT&T Archives and History Center, Warren, NJ

[@SailorMaxie]

Nobody: My printer when running a calibration test:

[@CynthiaMotianMcGuirl]

Notes by Paul Motian and a note from Van Der Beek to Motian are available on the Paul Motian archive. jazzcloset.blogspot.com/p/archive.html

[@kaeltkottmir]

Cool background music

[@92Roar]

Anyone else feel like they just unwittingly participated in the alpha prototype MK Ultra?

[@NortelGeek]

DO NOT QUESTION GOVERNMENT GOD. BUY ULTRA. BUY NAOMI.

[@Poodleinacan]

1:16 Missingno in the background...

[@Traumaqueenamy]

Heavy drug use in the 60s and 70s combined with experimental computer graphics and psychedelic art produces a hell of a trip.

[@rickknowlton9990]

My dad was pretty straight and narrow. I'm not sure about Stan though.

[@TizedesCsaba]

As I can remember this was in the A. K. Dewdney article from the end 80's / beginning of 90's Scientific American magazine?! Crabs eats windows in Bell Labs?! Or something similar...?!?

[@citrusui]

Thank you for this.

[@joshgellis3292]

I love computer history, I really do- I feel seriously interested to know however, were any of the people in charge of this messing with LSD, mariguana or even cocaine or what?!

[@DiegoBergia]

Thanks so much for this! Any chance you have Poemfield #5 to share?

[@CinemaMediaStudies]

Thanks for this! One question: the film is dated as 1971 & labeled as Poemfield #2, but in the description #2 is dated 1966. Which one is correct?

[@WaverVr]

I wonder what music they like? Me:

[@surveyork9]

5:39 Copyright year is incorrect; it reads "MCMLXXI", which is 1971, instead of "MCMLXVI", which is 1966. Typo.

[@DieMasterMonkey]

Omfg.

[@plaguex1]

Mkultra stuff 100% considering ATTs stance on these projects

[@atjshow]

"visualing"?

[@IARRCSim]

Visualization inspired by Jackson Pollock.

[@IARRCSim]

I think that computer consumed a little too much sex, drugs, rock & roll. It also appears to have a nasty case of reefer madness.