Portrait of Vera Molnár from 1961. Courtesy of Galerie Oniris, Rennes.

Hand movements and the immediacy of computer systems are equally magnificent forces to be reckoned with; but what happens when we pair the two? Vera Molnár (born 1924), Hungarian artist and pioneer of computer art, used the term machine imaginaire (imaginary machine) to express a shared visual language between the humanness of handwork and the precision of mathematical algorithms. This approach inevitably became a catalyst for what is now her mark on the digital art realm.

In the 1960’s, the role of the computer was a developing notion in everyday life, as machine access was reserved for scientific research and military purposes. Molnár enjoyed experimenting with algorithms through manual processes – using mathematical calculations to decode visual systems. This often included the use of a grid on paper and following set guidelines that she created to draw elements across the page (such as colour, shape, line and direction). This helped her to progress systematically through all conceivable permutations of a series while adhering to a set of instructions and self-imposed constraints.

I had the pleasure of reflecting on Vera Molnar’s work and practice for the V&A’s online platform. To read more of the article, click here.