PIANO BAR by the British artist Geoff Davis is a piece of generative computer art; it uses randomness in its design. When you watch it, you can get lost in its captivating rhythm and visuals.

The name PIANO BAR might remind you of an old-time player piano. The visuals scroll or move up the screen, building upon one another, similar to how a piano player's notes are read or how printers output information. It is also visually similar to the piano roll used for note editing in music sequencers and digital audio workstations since the 1990s. Sometimes it resembles the designs in Anni Albers' fabric art and recalls the early days of computing, when machines were inspired by weaving looms. It could reflect images of bottles on a conveyor belt in a bar or capsule magazines loading and emptying.

However, all these visual connections, including even the title, were added after the code work was created by Geoff Davis in 1984, when the piece was added to the Micro Arts MA2 Various Unusual Events collection. This collection was a set of computer art exemplars that pushed boundaries and challenged what digital art could be. It was very different from Geoff’s previous generative works that mathematically painted pixels on the screen.

Some other pieces from the MA2 collection ranged from a piece of slow art that would take centuries to finish on modern screens to an animation discussing the infamous SCUM Manifesto and Universal Basic Income.

PIANO BAR connects the past with the present. It's a mix of history, art, and modern technology.

Finally, there's an ambient soundtrack for PIANO BAR by Geoff Davis, who's been involved with various bands and has a rich history in music.

Enjoy watching and listening to PIANO BAR.

Geoff Davis donates 50% of the revenue to the Computer Arts Archive, a non-profit company attached to the Computer Arts Society (CAS). The Archive has an important historical and educational role, with a large collection of seminal artworks. CAS was founded in 1968 following the Cybernetic Serendipity exhibition at the ICA in London, curated by Jasia Reichardt. CAS promotes computer art across the UK and beyond.

EXPANDED.ART'S PIONEER GRAILS is a series of 72-HOUR OPEN NFT EDITIONS presenting paradigmatic artworks from key figures in the history of digital art.

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