Eduardo Paolozzi Born Edinburgh, Scotland. 1924 ResidentLondon Eduardo Paolozziwas visited in London by MT in Octo- really preparedto offer him the kind of freedom or the ber, 1968. When A & T was describedto Paolozzion degreeof accessto their personneland hardwarethat he that occasion,he respondedby expressinginterest in required--thoughthe corporation was equipped techni- working with computers. His work at that time was cally to deal with whatever demandsthe artist might involved in computer-generatedimagery, and thus it was make in the areaof computer graphics.On the evening natural that he should wish to developthese ideas. In after this encounter,Paolozzi telephoned Jane Living- Paolozzi'sletter to us of October 30, he spoke about the ston from his hotel and explainedto her that he saw no areashe visualizedpursuing: point in touring the San Josefacility or bothering It is my intention of bringing a portfolio of schemes further with lBM. Paolozzithen visited Wyle Laborator- in connection with the Los Angelesshow. These ies.He was interviewedby the company's president, schemesare an extension of work concerningimages Frank Wyle [1] ; Gail Scott wrote the following memo and words (ref: the Berkeleycatalogue; Christopher recountingthis event and later discussion: Finch's book Art and Objectsl. You may realizethat I did a certain amount of com- puter researchwhile at Berkeley,but the Art Depart- ment there was unable to extend any of these ideas- which certainly could be realizedwithin the frame- work that we discussedin London during your visit. At the moment, I have an assistantworking on colour mosaicsand endlesspermutations on the grid pattern. This is accordingto my interpretation of current computer literature and can be used in connection with sound experiments.Also the reverse,I under- stand, is possible;which is, soundscan be usedto create patterns. The feasibility of the theory of these programmes require an electronic designengineer for further com- ment, and this particular auxiliary is being investi- gated at this moment. Next week, a visit is planned to the Computer Division of the Ferranti empire, the particularstudy particu- here is numerical control machinesand their GS went with E. Paolozzito Wyle Labs for interview programme lar computer-aideddesign . with Frank Wyle. Wyle's first take was that Paolozzi should be exposedto many facilities for first week Following this letter, we sent Paolozzi literature on In- and try to absorb the diversity of technologiesavail- formation International. Paolozzi arrangedto fly to Los able. He suggestedmaking a sculpture using 'birefring- Angelesfor a week in January, 1969, to visit companies. ence' flow-pattern technology which has a very By the time he arrived, IBM was tentatively availablefor impressivevisual effect [2] . Size is no limitation; it's an artist match (though they were still considering merely a question of learningthe principlesof the Vasarely'sproposal), so we scheduledvisits to their Los technology and then working out the mechanicsof Angelesheadquarters, to lnformation Internationaland the construction-which can be done anywhere. Bire- also to Wyle Laboratories.The tour to Information In- f ringenceconsists basically of sheetsof semi-transpar- ternational was unproductive. For varioustechnical ent polarizedscreens through which a closed-loop reasons,Paolozzi felt that their capabilitiesin computer liquid circulation system is channeled.(The liquid is graphicswould not be of use to him. The situation at water with an additive which causesthe birefringence IBM was somewhat more complicated.Paolozzi first effect.) An internal, monochromatic light sourceis toured their downtown Los Angelesoffices and saw usedwhich is modulated and changedaccording to various advancedcomputers demonstrated,'the next day, certain flow principlesof the liquid as it is pumped he met againwith Dr. David Heggie,our IBM contact through the channels.Eric Miller, a physicistat the man, and we discussedthe possibility of touring IBM's Huntsvillefacility, is the authority on the sublect. huge San Jose plant. This meetingwas difficult for everyone involved. Somehow Paolozzi did not feel that Paolozziwas interestedin this possibility,but still Heggieor IBM either understood his intentions or were would like to work with computer graphics.However, A&T in a meetingwith MT, Paolozzi,JL and BA on Janu- ary 17, it was decided that becauseof the problems with Vasarelyand lBM, it would be best for Paolozzi to concentrateon working something out at Wyle. Paolozzi is not interestedparticularly in another 'Howard Wise-type'visually interestingsculpture, but wants to penetrateto something more meaningful. He is willing to pursuethe possibilitiesavailable at Wyle, provided he can get an informed corporate person to give him an extensivetour of their facilitieswhen he returns in March to begin work. I suggestedthat Kenneth Eldred, whom Paolozziand I met yesterday, and who is Director of Research.managing all researchactivities at the Labs,would be an ideal con- tact man. Wyle said that Eldred is 'the most creative personaround here.' Paolozziseemed undecided when he left Los Angeles about the medium-birefringence, or binary inf raction- with which he was encouragedto experiment by Frank Wyle. He was still reluctant to abandon his idea for working with computers.but apparently he became in- creasinglyintrigued, as he later thought about it, with the notion of usinga technique entirely new to him and unrelated to his past work. In any event, he wrote to us in February,saying that he would be sendingan assist- ant. James Kirkwood, to Los Angelesbefore he himself could come from London, and he indicated his willing- nessto work at Wyle Laboratories.Hal Glicksman wrote this memo after touring Wyle with Paolozzi: Met with Frank Wyle and Harry Greybill to view working spaceand seedemonstration of effect that Paolozziwould utilize. Spacewas located on upper floor at northeast corner of the lab complex. Rather an elaborate route from the entrance. Spaceis a separateroom about 15 x 20 feet. drafting table along one wall, separatedesk and work table. Paolozziplans to move in March 18, 10 A.M. Viewed demonstration: A specialliquid dye changes color under polarized light accordingto the speedat which it is flowing. Thus the rate of flow of liquids in a systemof plastic pipe is graphicallyillustrated by rainbow hues in the liquid. Corners,bends, constric- tions, and irregularitiesin the pipe all causebrilliantly colored turbulence to appear in the liquid, The fastest flowing parts are bright yellow, the slowest parts green.The entire system can be slowed down with a master valvethat causesall the liquid to darken and shift color toward the green.The system when com- pletely shut down is an almost opaque.dark green. Elaborate pipe systemscan be simulated by cutting a pattern out of a flat sheet of plexiglassand sandwich- ing it between two solid sheets.The liquid flows in the cut out spaces. Paolozziand Kirkwood worked daily at Wyle for about three weeks, consulting with severaltechnicians who advisedthem about the capabilitiesof chromatic control which could be obtained with the polarizedfluids. A table was set up with a sort of flat tank set on it, into which dyes were pumped under polarizedplastic sheets. Paolozziwas able to determine by observingthe f low patternsunder variousconditions in his apparatuswhat he might be able to achieveon a largerscale. He visual- ized making a wall of color patterns,and thought of in- corporatingsome sort of mechanismwhereby spectators could themselvesmanipulate the color patternseither by "playing" a console,or simply by walking in front of the structure. The more he worked with the device,how- ever,the lessconfident he becamethat the medium was worth developinginto an art work. He also felt that the environment at Wyle was constrictingto him, and he sensedthat he was being "railroaded," to usehis word, into a narrow and unreasonablyspecific area, when he would have liked to f reely explore the complex of build- ings around him and conceivably make use of other resourcesavailable at Wvle. On April 4. MT sent Frank Wyle the following letter, terminating the PaolozzilWylecol laboration : I have been informed by Eduardo Paolozzi that he will not be able to continue his 'residence'at WVle Laboratories.The artist believesthat only work of insufficient value could result from the collaboration. Paolozzifeels that the only area at Wyle made avail- able to him concernedbinary infraction, and that this area,as interestingas it is technically, is not fecund ground for his personalaesthetic. He also indicated to me that his attempts to make something in this area were hampered by various restrictions placed on the scopeand scaleof his involvement;means of imple- mentation were. in Paolozzi'sopinion, too restrictive to allow for success. I very much regretthat this collaborativeeffort has failed. lt is the first time a contracted artist and a Patron Sponsor Corporation have not been able to work out a satisfactory relationship. I tried to contact you when this situation developedlast week in an attempt to ward off the problem. Perhapswe should discussthis matter, at your convenience,in order to preparefor future involvementswith artists.Since we regardWyle Laboratoriesas one of the most extraor- dinary of the thirty-one corporationsioining with us in this program,we are especiallyeager to havea valu- able situation develop. HG took Paolozzito both Cal Comp and to TRW Sys- tems before the artist returned to London. Paolozzi and TRW agreedto work on a computer graphic project; the artist would sendthe company drawings and instructions by mailfrom London for them to program and com- pute. We have not been able to ascertainfrom Paolozzi whether work is indeed progressingat this time..