“Since the late sixties, my paintings and drawings have been involved with geometric abstraction. These visual structures have been both complex and precise. My fascination with diagrams, circuit boards, and technological imagery was a strong influence. In 1980, instead of abstractly picturing computers, I began working directly with microcomputers. There was little to no software of interest, so I began writing my own code. During the eighties and early nineties, I worked with pen plotters. Next, I made monochromatic drawings with laser printers. In recent years, I have moved to archival ink jet printers.

The software and methodology used with these different devices are similar. These images are made in a two-part process. First, simple geometric images are generated on a computer screen. Next, a rectangular section of the screen image is plotted, pixel-by-pixel. The pixels are drawn as various geometric objects: circles, filled boxes, crosses, and so forth. They can be large or small, and can be mapped onto various geometric surfaces, such as planes, cylinders, and cones. These pixel mapping procedures, while uncomplicated, have proven to be remarkably versatile and adaptable.

There are several important qualities in this process: the tedium of hand-making pictures has been replaced with a torrent of images emanating from the software and the computer. More importantly, the computer excited me because of the promise of a new aesthetic, a new vision of the world. I have directly used the digital nature of this medium. Indeed, these pictures would be unrealizable in any other medium. Rather than trying to disguise pixels, they have become the central element of my art making. Perhaps this technique will reveal a new visual geometry, unattainable before the advent of computing.”

Marc Wilson

Born 1943 in Cottage Grove, Oregon. Mark Wilson currently lives in West Cornwall, Connecticut.

EDUCATION
1967     M.F.A., Yale University
1965     B.A., Pomona College

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2020
The Cornwall Library, Cornwall, Connecticut, planned
2019
Tremaine Gallery, Lakeville, Connecticut
2018
A million Lines, Citadine Gallery, Auroville, India
2016
A Million Lines, Augen Gallery, Portland, Oregon
2013
Souterrain Gallery, West Cornwall, Connecticut, USA
2012
Code Matrix, DAM GALLERY Cologne, Germany
Duckworth Museum, Meriden, New Hampshire, USA
2011
Augen Gallery, Portland, Oregon, USA
2008
Augen Gallery, Portland, Oregon, USA
2001
Beyond Care, Branford, Connecticut, USA
1993
Galerie Shirley, Genève, Switzerland
1991
Galerie Atelier E, Zürich, Switzerland
The Mattatuck Museum, Waterbury, Connecticut, USA
1975
Trumbull College, Yale University, USA
1973
University of Delaware, USA
1976/74/72
Hundred Acres Gallery, New York City, USA

GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2019
The Algorists, Thoma Foundation, Chicago
2018
Chance and Control, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK
Summer Splash 4, DAM Gallery Berlin, Germany
2016
DAM: Temporary, DAM GALLERY Berlin, Germany
Power Geometry”, Thoma Foundation, Chicago
2015
AESTHETICA, DAM Gallery Berlin, Germany
2014
New Work, Augen Gallery, Portland, Oregon, USA
2013
American Algorists, Arnold Gallery, Annville, Pennsylvania, USA
SVA Flatiron Gallery, New York, USA
Ornamental Structures, Stadt Gallery Herne, Germany
Summer Splash 2, DAM GALLERY Berlin, Germany
Digital Art (R)evolution, Shattuck Gallery, Westport, Massachusetts, USA
2012
Exploded Views, Ely House, New Haven, USA
2011
Drawing with Code, deCordova Museum, Lincoln, Massachusetts, USA
Ornamental Structures, Stadtgalerie Saarbrücken, Germany
Think Line 2, DAM GALLERY Berlin, Germany
2010
Matters of Pattern, Connecticut Commission on Culture Gallery, Hartford, USA
Think Line, DAM GALLERY Cologne, Germany
2009
New Prints Winter 2009, International Print Center New York, USA
Best of Digital Art, DAM GALLERY Berlin, Germany
line+concept, MediaRuimte, Brussels, Belgium
Control Print, Parsons The New School for Design, New York, USA
Digital Pioneers, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK
2008
Imaging by Numbers, Block Museum of Art, Evanston, Illinois, USA
2007 
The Algorists, DAM GALLERY Berlin, Germany
Control Print, Royal College of Art, SEA Gallery, London, UK
2005
International Digital Art Awards
2000
Prizewinners of the Golden Plotter, Museum der Stadt, Gladbeck, Germany
1998
Tick Tick Tick, Real Art Ways, Hartford, Connecticut, USA
1995
Investing in Dreams, Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, Connecticut, USA
1993
Digital Arts, Saatchi & Saatchi, New York, USA
The Art Factor, Minneapolis College of Art and Design Gallery, USA
Digital Salon, New York Art Directors Club, USA
Elastic Visions, Pennsylvania State University, USA
1992-2006   
Computer Kunst, Museum der Stadt, Gladbeck, Germany
Ars Electronica, Distinction, Linz, Austria
International CGA Exhibition, Tokyo, Japan
1991
Graphicon 91, Moscow, Russia
El Art, Punkaharju, Finland
1990
TransArt Exhibitions, Cologne, Germany
1989
Electronic Print, Arnolfini Gallery, Bristol, UK
Algorithmic Image, The Print Club, Philadelphia, USA
1988-90/92 
ACM Siggraph Art Show
1988
IBM Gallery, New York City (Hatchplot Installation), USA
Forum, Hamburg, Germany
Ars Electronica, Honorable Mention, Linz, Austria
1987
ArtWare, Hanover, Düsseldorf, Germany
Prints & Plots, Golden Plotter Award, Cologne, Germany
Computers and Art, Everson Museum, Syracuse, New York, USA
1986
Smart Art, Pacific Northwest College of Art, Portland, USA
The Computer as an Art Tool, Hurlbutt Gallery, Greenwich, Connecticut, USA
1985-86/83
ACM Siggraph Art Show
1985
Emerging Expression, Bronx Museum of Art, USA
Five with Byte, Pittsburgh Plan for Art, USA
The Artist and the Computer, Louisville Art Gallery, USA
1984
Rutgers National 83/84 Works on Paper, Purchase Award
1978
Connecticut Painting and Sculpture, University of Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA
1977/75
New Work, New York, Albright-Knox Museum, Buffalo, USA
1974
Painting and Sculpture 1974 Contemporary Art Center, Cincinnati; Indianapolis Museum of Art, USA
1973
New York 1973 Washington University, St. Louis, USA

COLLECTIONS
ADP, Roseland, New Jersey, USA
Apple Computer, Cupertino, California, USA
Block Museum, Evanston, Illinois
Chase Manhattan Bank, New York City, USA
Chermayeff & Geismar Associates, New York City, USA
Continental Can Corporation, Stamford, Connecticut, USA
Museum der Stadt Gladbeck, Germany
IBM Corporation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Philip Johnson, New Canaan, Connecticut, USA
Ivan Karp, New York City, USA
The Kemper Group, Long Grove, Illinois, USA
Museu de Arte Contemporanea, São Paulo, Brazil
Mobil Oil, New York City, USA
Novartis Pharmaceuticals, East Hanover, New Jersey, USA
Portland Art Museum, Portland, Oregon, USA
Prudential Life Insurance, Newark, New Jersey, USA
UniSys Corporation, Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, USA
United Technologies, Hartford, Connecticut, USA
Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Virginia Museum, Richmond, USA
Wang Laboratories, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
Westinghouse Corporation, Pittsburgh, USA
Ziff-Davis Publishing, New York City, USA

GRANTS
1978/73 
Commission on the Arts, State of Connecticut, USA
1987/2008
Artist Fellowships, Commission on the Arts, State of Connecticut
1982
Visual Artists Fellowship, National Endowment for the Arts

PUBLICATIONS
Mark Wilson Drawing with Computers, Putnam, New York 1985

MOVETO LINETO, DAM Berlin, 11 November 2022 – 21 January 2023
SUMMER SPLASH 4, DAM Berlin, 23 June – 31 July 2018
AESTHETICA, DAM Berlin, 29 May – 1 August 2015
SUMMER SPLASH 2, DAM Berlin, June 18 – July 27, 2013
CODE MATRIX, DAM Cologne, 29 February – 21 April 2012
THINK LINE 2, DAM Berlin, 19 November 2011 – 21 January 2012
THINK LINE, DAM Cologne, 4 September – 6 November 2010
BEST OF DIGITAL ART, DAM Berlin, 4 April – 23 May 2009
THE ALOGRISTS, DAM Berlin, 20 March – 14 May 2007