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German

1938

Manfred Mohr is a pioneer of digital and algorithmic art, creating precise geometric compositions through mathematical rules and computer programming. His background in jazz and the influence of philosopher Max Bense shaped a disciplined, system-driven practice that balances rigorous structure with creative expression, establishing him as a leading figure in computer-generated art.

Manfred Mohr with his work, NYC (2019). Photo CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Full Bio

Manfred Mohr is a digital and algorithmic artist whose work uses mathematical rules and computer programming to create precise geometric compositions. Born in 1938 in Pforzheim, Germany, Mohr trained as a goldsmith before turning to painting and jazz music early in his career. In the 1960s, after studying at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, he shifted from action painting to exploring the visual possibilities of computers. Influenced by the philosopher Max Bense’s ideas on Information Aesthetics, Mohr developed a systematic approach that treats art as a logical, formal structure. He lived and worked in Paris until 1983 before moving to New York, where he continues to create.

Mohr’s artistic vision is shaped by his early roots as a jazz musician. His practical knowledge of rhythm, counterpoint, and harmony provided a framework for understanding structure and repetition. This background informed his transition from improvisational abstract expressionism to a more calculated, system-driven art form. Much like a jazz composition balances rules with creative freedom, Mohr’s algorithmic works reflect a disciplined interplay between control and chance, rhythm and variation. His music experience infuses his digital creations with a sense of flow and complexity that parallels harmonic progressions and melodic interplay.

Alongside this musical foundation, Mohr was influenced by the philosophy of Max Bense, whose information aesthetics redefined art as a science of information, logic, and systems rather than purely emotional expression. Bense’s writings provided Mohr with a theoretical framework to approach art through algorithmic logic and mathematical structures. This shift from traditional abstraction to an information-based aesthetic set the stage for his pioneering work in digital art, encouraging him to explore complex visual systems generated by code.

Mohr’s technical process was shaped by the demands and limitations of early computer technology. In the late 1960s and 1970s, he worked on large mainframe computers, programming through punch cards, a meticulous, exacting method that required careful planning since errors meant restarting the process. The computer plotter acted as his brush, physically rendering the output of his algorithms with precision and clarity. This relationship between artist, machine, and code created a unique discipline in his practice, emphasizing systematization and exactitude. The constraints and possibilities of these early technologies shaped Mohr’s aesthetic, producing crisp geometric patterns born from coded logic that emphasize both precision and the creative potential inherent in computational art.

In 1971, Mohr presented Computer Graphics – Une Esthétique Programmée at the ARC, Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, one of the earliest solo museum exhibitions dedicated entirely to computer-generated art. His work has since been widely exhibited and acquired by institutions including the Centre Pompidou, ZKM, the Whitney Museum, Haus Konstruktiv, and M+ Hong Kong. A number of honors have recognized the significance of his contributions to algorithmic systems and generative abstraction, including the Golden Nica at Ars Electronica and the ACM SIGGRAPH Distinguished Artist Award for Lifetime Achievement. These are among several accolades that mark Mohr’s continued impact on the history and future of computer art.