Figure 1: Photo of me standing in front of Paul Rand’s Eye-Bee-M rebus (Shibata-Bardaro)
Last month, I attended the exhibition Coded: Art Enters the Computer Age organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Upon entering the exhibition, visitors are greeted by a short wall of text that provides a brief overview of the early history of computers including their introduction into popular culture. According to the text, art and media played a pivotal role in advertising computers to the general public in the postwar years ("The Computer and Popular Consciousness"). For example, in a 1965 Time magazine issue that talked about computer technology, the cover page featured an illustration by Boris Artzybasheff that exemplified the idea of the computer as a computational, artificial brain. Then there was the CBS broadcast of UNIVAC’s prediction of the 1952 presidential elections. While pre-election polls favored Adlai Stevenson, the UNIVAC’s analysis of election returns predicted a landslide victory for Eisenhower with a vote of 442 to 93 (Wired). Although the correct prediction was announced late in the broadcast, UNIVAC’s close approximation to the final vote of 442 to 89 amazed the public and had many convinced of the potential of computers (Wired).
Figure 2: 2 April 1965 Time magazine cover (Artzybasheff).
In regards to actual pieces present within the museum, two artworks stood out: Edward Kienholz’s The Friendly Grey Computer along with Paul Rand’s popular Eye-Bee-M poster. Kienholz’s piece as depicted in figure 3 comprises an anthropomorphized large metal box adorned with random bulbs, switches, dials, and other baubles sitting on top of a rocking chair. Kienholz explains the reasoning of the chair as he states “computers sometimes get fatigued and have nervous breakdowns” ("The Computer and Popular Consciousness"). Rand’s Eye-Bee-M logo is shown in figure 4 and features a cartoonish human eye and a bee, representing a rebus. Both of these artworks portray computers as friendly and humanistic even though there is an unnerving presence with Kienholz’s work and his decision to include baby legs at the front. Consequently, there seemed to be this push to encourage the general public to warmly embrace the computer, or perhaps it worked the other way around. The positive reception of computers led to artworks that celebrated the development of the computer. The 1965 Times magazine article emphasized the importance of computers in space exploration, which, as was discussed in the topic of space and art, had captured the interest of popular culture (“Technology: The Cybernated Generation”). I would argue that it was a combination of both factors leading to self-reinforcement. Nonetheless, the rather positive response towards computers was surprising, especially when compared to the topic on robots and how they were approached with a general caution. For instance, the movie Metropolis set a foundation of the perception of robots and their desire for deception and destruction (Delahoyde).
Figure 3: Edward Kienholz’s The Friendly Grey Computer (Shibata-Bardaro)
Figure 4: Paul Rand’s Eye-Bee-M poster (Shibata-Bardaro)
From this class and reading more and more on the inner workings of engineers, scientists, and artists, the worlds of artists and scientists seem to collide more often than not. This was seen on the topic of space and art, and how artistic interpretation and commentary influenced the development of technologies including space stations or the idea of a space elevator (Vesna, 5:09). This was also seen at LACMA in regards to IBM, which was built on the foundation that “good design is good business” a phrase coined by IBM’s former chief executive Thomas J. Watson Jr. (“Good Design Is Good Business”). The goal was to conceive the business organization as a work of art, where every visible aspect contributes to the corporate character. To accomplish this, Watson hired Eliot Noyes, a renowned architect, as the design consultant (“Good Design Is Good Business”). Noyes would play a pivotal role in modernizing all aspects of IBM making it “the paradigm of the modern corporation” (“Good Design Is Good Business”). This philosophy of design being essential in expression would continue to influence other major enterprises including Apple, Disney, and Nike (“Good Design Is Good Business”). Being a simplistic museum, I would only recommend LACMA to avid museum-goers.
Works Cited:
Alfred, Randy. “Nov. 4, 1952: Univac Gets Election Right, But CBS Balks.” Wired, 4 Nov. 2010, https://www.wired.com/2010/11/1104cbs-tv-univac-election/. Accessed 7 June 2023.
Artzybasheff, Boris. Cover image. Times, 2 April 1965, https://content.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19650402,00.html.
Delahoyde, Michael. “METROPOLIS.” Washington State University, public.wsu.edu/~delahoyd/sf/metropolis.html. Accessed 7 June 2023.
“Good Design Is Good Business.” IBM100, 2011, www.ibm.com/ibm/history/ibm100/us/en/icons/gooddesign/.
Shibata-Bardaro, Travis. Photograph of Edward Kienholz’s The Friendly Grey Computer. 9 May 2023.
Shibata-Bardaro, Travis. Photograph of Paul Rand’s Eye-Bee-M Poster. 9 May 2023
Shibata-Bardaro, Travis. Photograph of Self in Front of Eye-Bee-M. 9 May 2023.
“Technology: The Cybernated Generation.” Time, 2 Apr. 1965, https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,941042,00.html. Accessed 7 June 2023.
Vesna, Victoria. “8 space pt1 1280x720.” YouTube, uploaded by UC Online, 29 July 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZIqTR332l8.
Wall text, The Computer and Popular Consciousness, Coded: Art Enters the Computer Age, 12 Feb.-2 July 2023, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, California.
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