Geoff Davis art and writing activities.
Videos and images – for technical or further information please email geoffdavis5 at gmail com
PDF Portfolio material is not repeated in these sets.
Copyright Geoff Davis 2025.
Please view these images along with my 2025 Portfolio below (which paginates better in a proper pdf app like Adobe Acrobat, but browser is OK).
Geoff Davis April 2025 Portfolio PDF
Index
Redacted Landscapes – digital paintings
Pattern City – generative art using a grid of images and text
Micro Arts Magazine and Paintbox and Net Art
Micro Arts on Prestel Videotext
Time For A Change – generative art (animation / still)
14 generated animations, can be any speed, ends with a still. These are from code that has several sections, and can produce a wide range of animations and images. Has been tested to create 5,000 pieces.
Time For A Change White yellow big circle (fast)
Time For A Change 954
Time For A Change Green brown white
Time For A Change Orange Circles
Time For A Change Brown blue red
Time For A Change Mono grey red green
Time For A Change Bright blocks
Time For A Change Colour Culture 1
Time For A Change White Detailed Green Red
Time For A Change Cyan Small
Time For A Change 678
Time For A Change Purple Shapes
Pixel Beauty – generative processing (animation / still)
9 generated animation processes, can be any speed or number and type of processes, ends with a still (can also run in a loop or back/forwards). Can be run on any number of images, with more variety in the outputs, if required.
This uses a set of input images which are then processed. The image and processing is randomised and can also create other shapes, textures, timings. For this version of Pixel Beauty it is making circles.
Geoff Selfie 1982
Teenage Abstraction 1
MA1 Stripes
MA2 Various Unusual Events
Lizard World
Geoff Selfie 2021
MA Lines
Cubes version 1
Cubes version 2
Work In Progress
7080
This is an art film created using old photos and AI generated clips, to represent the art scene around the London FIlmmakers Coop, London Video Arts, the club, music and gallery scene, etc. I was also involved with Network 21, the famous pirate TV station. They (anonymous) also contributed to Micro Arts.
Redacted Landscapes
Digital paintings, from edited photographs.
Redacted Landscape Geoff Davis
Pattern City
Note this is a video of some stills, not the running generative art. This has been exhibited (CAS, London Moorgate 2023). Imagery will be used in Geoff’s novel Pattern City due this year (LPP, 2025).
Micro Arts 40th Anniversary
Onchain Code
The 1984 and 1985 programs are being released as new onchain P5js versions. Some of these are coded but not released yet.
I have been making images for a book and short film to accompany this launch.
Story Generator 40th Anniversary Book & art (sample pages)
Images from a colour animated series from one of the MA4 Story Generator tales.
The stories are similar to fairy tales or fables, and are quite extrovert. There are many stories from the generator, with many different animals planning their escape. These are being assembed for a multi monitor installation, with the book.
This is a more detailed look at the micro scene in the 1980s.
Micro Arts 1984 onwards
Micro Arts was my forum for art on the new micro computers such as the ZX Spectrum, BBC Micro, Commodore, Atari, etc. Apple and IBM Micros were much more expensive – 10x more for the IBM Micro, which was underpowered so they swiftly brought out an AT (Advanced Technology) version.
Before using micros I had programmed Univac Mainframes (using a pencil and paper at first), and VAX minis, so I found micro computers great fun to code in colour with instant results. The bright colours matched my ‘Teenage Abstractions’. Following Micro Arts I worked in networking IBM Micros, and then teaching at an art college on the new graphic workstations that arrived at the end of the 1980s. These were much like modern systems in most respects and we ran 3D modelling, CAD, video animation etc. (They still had backup on 100 Mb 2″ tape.)
MA1 “Abstract Originals” set 1984
MA2 Various Unusual Events set 1984
Computer art seemed very serious so these pieces lampoon various types of computer art, which even in 1984 had been around for ages.
The Money Work System (character animation, Valerie Solanas, UBI).
Valerie Solanas SCUM Manifesto – Geoff Davis 1984Minimal – slow art – 2 years to finish. First ‘Pixel Art’ – art referencing pixels. At the time, this was ‘state of the art’ for home computers. Only later ‘pixel art’ was labelled as a retro nostalgic genre. Also an early example of environmental or slow (long term) art.
Piano Bar (inspired by player piano keys, also weaving, Anni Albers) – a visual art example, as the MA2 set was a variety of possible computer arts.
There were other pieces on MA2, not shown here.
Studio (abstract/figurative animation with feet and beeps);
Carry On Computing (math art, also with sound);
Dada word generator.
Visit this page for more on MA2
MA4 Story Generator 1985
The recording below shows several runs of the story text generator. The stories were generated one word at at time, and digressed widely. They were based one of my original short stories about animal rebellion. Visit the the MA4 Story Generator page for the original short story and more.
The Magazine
Later, I designed and edited an educational print magazine to get the message out, as there was no web at the time. Black and white in fanzine style, it had a glossy cover, and many articles and images. It was distribued to galleries, libraries etc. and given away with the data cassettes.
It had the first proper artist published images using Paintbox systems, of which Quantel (one of many systems around) is now having a revival.
Prestel
In 1985 Micro Arts became a very early example of ‘Net Art’ when it was transferred onto Prestel videotext (precursor of Minitel). The software was downloaded (shared) to the system, which ran to every suitable TV set in the country, along with ships at sea.
After Micro Arts I did some computer work (networking IBM Micros in dealing rooms, a new thing at the time) and then taught at several art colleges.
Story Software
In 2003 I completed a Masters in Electronic Arts by Research at Middlesex University, UK. I investigated using custom interfaces with non-linear narrative, as used in net art, usually hyperlinked web pages or (at the time) Flash apps. This zooming interface was used for successful image storyboard apps (CST or Creativity Support Tools) with my company Story Software. This work also led to a slim book ‘Fiction Or Filing’ about the effect of the computer on writing.
Story Live (with Fabrice Bellard, programmer) was an online AI text generator with an editing panel that has been retired. It was mainly used for my UAL AI research on professional writers using text generation 2021-2023.
The zooming canvas storyboard apps Story Lite and Notes Story Board are available from Story Software but are no longer supported.
