In the 1960’s, computer art was largely ignored or dismissed by the art establishment. Today it is recognized as an important precursor to contemporary digital art practice. In this lecture, Douglas Dodds will provide a brief history of digital art and design, and explain how the V&A is forming an internationally significant collection of computer-generated artworks from the early 1960s onwards. He will also examine the role played by pioneering women artists and designers, including Barbara Nessim.

Douglas Dodds is Senior Curator in the Word and Image Department at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. In 2009/10 he curated a groundbreaking V&A exhibition entitled Digital Pioneers. He is also the curator of Barbara Nessim: An Artful Life.