Fairlight CVI (Computer Video Instrument)

Early Computer Graphics

(1979) This is an example of early computer graphics animation on the Datamax UV-1, developed by students at the Electronic Visualization Lab. This animation was created by Mark McKernin.





(1974) This is a example of early video art using the color capability of the Sandin Analogue Image Processor - the "Color IP". producer/director: Phil Morton





(1985) Calculated Movements by Larry Cuba is an example of early video art using software developed at the Electronic Visualization Laboratory (EVL). The video has a minimalist/ambient original sound piece.

In the 1970s the computer graphics for the first Star Wars film (1977) was created by Larry Cuba at the Electronic Visualization Laboratory (EVL) (at the time known as the Circle Graphics Habitat) at the University of Illinois at Chicago.





(1971) This is one of the movies that document the early history of the research that resulted in the creation of the EVL Lab.

This is an early video piece staring Dan Sandin in which he explains, in general terms, the functionality of the Sandin Analogue Image Processor (IP). This was the instructional video that accompanied the modules for constructing you own Sandin IP.

Sandin was an advocate of education and espoused a non-commercial philosophy, emphasizing a public access to processing methods and the machines that assist in generating the images. Accordingly, he placed the circuit board layouts for the IP with a commercial circuit board company and freely published schematics and other documentation.


The IP is a general-purpose patch programmable analogue computer, which is different from a regular digital computer, and is optimized to process video/television signals and sound. The video is processed through the IP "live" so that the viewer is able to see the effect on video signals. Initially the video is B&W, at the end Sandin debuts the 'Color IP'.