Untitled from Drawing Machine Three

Name: Ragnar Digital, LLC
Price range: $

Desmond Paul Henry

1967

Machine/Robot Drawing

30.5"x20.5"

NotAComputer

Description

Desmond Paul Henry’s third Drawing Machine, made in 1967, furthered his exploration of “mechanics of chance.” As with his previous drawing machines, it was based on an analogue bombsight computer from World War II that was originally used to calculate curved trajectories and the precise release of bombs. Henry rebuilt these analogue bombsight computers, attaching a motor-driven pen-arm that worked in conjunction with a drawing table. Drawing Machine III offered greater control during the drawing process than the previous two devices, and Henry could intervene more easily.

Though they were originally designed as precise instruments of war, capable of calculating deadly courses with exacting accuracy, Henry’s machines did not serve as precision instruments in his studio. Rather, their value lay in the interplay between mechanical calculation and chance, allowing unexpected variations to emerge within a broadly controlled framework. The tension between regular and irregular forms in the drawing seen here exemplifies this dynamic.

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Untitled from Drawing Machine One Desmond Paul Henry 1961 Machine/Robot Drawing

Untitled from Drawing Machine Two Desmond Paul Henry 1963 Machine/Robot Drawing

Cameraless Photography Desmond Paul Henry 1979 Oscilloscope/Light Photo

Untitled from Drawing Machine Two (b&w) Desmond Paul Henry 1964 Machine/Robot Drawing