Charles Mattox (American, 1910–1996) Charles Mattox, Untitled, c. 1970–72
Screen print plotter-derived proof
63.5 × 48.3 cm
Proof (inscribed "proof" in pencil; not a numbered edition)
Signed "mattox" in pencil, lower right; inscribed "proof" in pencil, lower left
Collection of Bre Pettis
PION.2026.8153
Description
Charles Mattox (American, 1910–1996) came to computer art through kinetic sculpture, joining the University of New Mexico in 1968 to pursue connections between art and science. There he commissioned programmer David Caulkins to write DART1, one of the first computer programs designed for use by non-programmers for artistic purposes, and used it with a CalComp drum plotter to generate abstract line compositions.
Signed "mattox" and inscribed "proof," both in pencil, in the lower corners. The yellow-to-orange gradient blend across the mirrored, wing-like form suggests this proof was pulled as a screenprint from a plotter-derived line composition rather than drawn directly by the plotter pen, which typically produced single-color ink line work.
Purchased on eBay, September 2026, alongside two other Mattox works from the same seller (eBay item 257760876675). Exact date of execution unknown; Mattox's plotter-era work dates from the early-to-mid 1970s.