The first digital code and the Biennale Serigraphy
The Quadrate program was first created in 1968 on an IBM 1130 computer using the Fortran programming language. The system, developed and built 1967 by the Technical University of Munich for the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry for use in brain research, was equipped with a plotter, among other things, via an interface. The project manager at the MPI was Prof. Dr. Otto D. Creutzfeldt, while Dr. Georg Färber, then scientific assistant at the Institute of Communications Engineering at the Technical University of Munich and later professor of real-time computer systems there for many decades, was responsible for the information technology of the computer. He enabled Franke to use the system under construction for artistic experiments and also wrote the code in Fortran.
Franke’s basic concept for the squares was simple: they were placed in three planes. The distribution, size and number of squares was determined independently for each level by a pseudo-random generator within a previously defined size grid for each plane. The relatively simple pseudo-random generator used was offered in the 1130 Fortran library. Already during the development of his first digital computer graphics, Franke was fascinated by the possibilities of the creative interplay of mathematically based structures with random generators from the computer. It became a “leitmotif” of his work as a visual artist, which he later also used for his partly interactive and moving programs on PCs. The number of elements in each of the three elements groups was based on the latest findings in information aesthetics. This showed which group is worth the most attention: the one with the fewest large elements. However, the elements of medium size are perceived as the predominant element of the picture. The smallest elements, on the other hand, form a “background noise” so to speak, and are perceived the least.
The three layers of the program were drawn one on top of the other in red, blue and black in the original plotter using the very limited number of colored pencils available.
1970: TheQuadrate and the Biennale Serigraphy Herbert W. Franke
In 1969, Werkstatt-Edition Kroll approached Franke and wanted to produce a serigraphy of different works. For the serigraphy of eight sheets, a graphic from the Quadrate program was also to be included – as the only color motif. For this purpose, the Quadrate program was slightly expanded in 1969 on a Siemens 4004. A sub-grid randomly filled with squares for each layer was then superimposed over the page in different orientations using an algorithm and plotted in three seperate layers for printing. Franke decided on a new color composition for the serigraphy, since the limitations of the plotter drawing pens did not exist for printing. He opted for a neon color scheme in orange-pink-black. Werkstatt-Edition Kroll showed the serigraph at the 1970/71 Venice Biennale in the German Pavilion.
Here is the entire Herbert W. Franke Biennale series from the analog computer series from the 1950s (Oscillograms and Dance of Electrons series) as well as 2 motifs from the second digital series KAES from 1969.
On the rightside here and below are the other seven motifs of the Biennale serigraph: works form the analog computer series from the 1950s (Oscillograms and Dance of Electrons series) as well as two motifs from Franke’s second digital series KAES, coded 1969.
The complete Biennale-Serigraphy Herbert W. Franke from 1970 – showing the dates of the work series:
Analog Computer – Oszscillograms (2 pieces), Analog Computer – Dance of the Eletrons (3 pieces), Quadrate (1 piece in color), KAES (2 pieces)
