Herbert W. Franke

Herbert W. Franke was a scientist, artist, and philosopher who studied physics and philosophy at university in Vienna. He began as a scientist searching for an art theory based on experiment, seeking out mathematical principles of aesthetics through information psychology. As an artist, he started working with generative photography in 1953, subsequently working with an analog computer between 1954 and 1962, and pioneered digital art in the ’60s. Franke wrote many books and articles on computer art, also developing a cybernetic art theory. One of his books, Computer Graphics — Computer Art (1971), remains the earliest comprehensive text on the subject. He co-founded the Ars Electronica festival in Linz, Austria, and was Honorary Editor of Leonardo and ISEA since 1972. Franke is also famous as a science-fiction writer and cave explorer. In his lifetime, he published over 50 books and more than 20 novels and anthologies.

From Herbert W. Franke on Art After the NFT, April 2022