Computer Art Leaflet

Name: Ragnar Digital, LLC
Price range: $

Robert Deodaat Emile “Ootje” Oxenaar

1970

Ephemera

Description

When the Dutch postal and telecommunications service (PTT) introduced Zomerzegels in 1970, it marked the first time in history that computer-generated imagery appeared on postage stamps. To educate the public on the project, the PTT published a_ _leaflet that documented how Robert Deodaat Emile “Ootje” Oxenaar’s designs were created using the CORA I mainframe and a program-controlled plotter at the Technical University Eindhoven.

The publication combined text, diagrams, and photographs to illustrate how numerical input was transformed into geometric drawings. Code excerpts and algorithmic plots reveal the system behind the five structures that defined the stamps: transitions between circle and square, parallel planes in a cube, two scales, expanding concentric circles, and four spirals. The leaflet’s back side features an untitled black-and-white computer drawing that visualizes the structural logic behind Oxenaar’s designs.

The arrangement of text and images in the leaflet reflects Oxenaar’s belief that information could be both functional and visually engaging. The yellow circles and numeric values along the lower edge reference the mechanics of plotting, showing how the designs were generated.