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"Transition of Thinking: Artist to Computer Artist. FormSynth and Beyond" A lecture by William Latham Thursday 24th May Presented in partnership with the Royal College of Art and the Computer Arts Society Lecture Theatre One at 6:30pm, Royal College of Art Kensington Gore (use entrance in Jay Mews)* London SW7 2EU In this talk the pioneering artist William Latham will talk about his early work as an MA Printmaking student at the RCA from 1982 to 1985 and how his work evolved during this period into his internationally known Organic Computer Art developed whilst at IBM UK Scientific Centre, where the role of the artist is to be a “Gardener in computer space”. The talk will describe the artistic context for this key transitional phase and also the broader theoretical ideas surrounding and underpinning his work. He will also identify key people during this early period who were strong influences on his work. In the later part of the talk he will talk about his more recent Mutator2 research work developed as a Professor at Goldsmiths Computing Department since 2007. During the talk he will also touch on his work in the computer games and entertainment industries and the challenges of crossing the line between art and entertainment. William Latham Biography William’s work at The IBM UK Scientific Centre from 1987 to 93 is internationally known and recognised as being both pioneering and radical. Working with mathematician Stephen Todd, they developed a unique computer mutation art where the role of the artist is to define fundamental evolutionary rules about the way forms would grow and mutate then to work like a gardener working within the system exploring the vast space of imaginative possibilities in computer space. From 1993 to 2003 William moved into Computer Games and founded Computer Artworks Ltd creating computer games for major publishers such as Warner Interactive, Universal Studios, SONY SCEE and several other leading publishers and grew the company to 70 people with development studios in London and Brighton. Major hit games produced during that period included The THING for Universal Studios. In 2003 He founded the company Games Audit Ltd which advises banks, investors and completion bonders on computer games and interactive entertainment. In 2007 he became Professor in Computer Art at Goldsmiths, University of London, collaborating with Professor Frederic Fol Leymarie, and working again with Stephen Todd and his son Peter after a gap of 13 years. Recent work has included re-applying the old FormGrow and Mutator systems rewritten in Java in the world of protein folding and scientific visualisation working with Lawrence Kelly at Imperial College Bioinformatics Department and other experimental new art projects. www.williamlatham1.com www.doc.gold.ac.uk/~mas01whl/ <http://www.doc.gold.ac.uk/%7Emas01whl/>