Paintboxed
Tezos World Tour
Location
Basel, Switzerland
Date
June 16 – 22
Paintboxed is the World’s First Major Exhibition on the Quantel Paintbox Era.
Paintboxed
Tezos World Tour
Location
Basel, Switzerland
Date
June 16 – 22
Paintboxed is the World’s First Major Exhibition on the Quantel Paintbox Era.
Paintboxed represents a revolutionary initiative that pays homage to the trailblazing heritage of the Quantel Paintbox—a legendary digital art device from the initial phase of the 80s that altered the artistic spectrum. Beyond merely an instrument, the Paintbox moulded visual culture, affecting everything from MTV productions to album designs like Nirvana’s Nevermind.
As a component of the exhibition, modern artists are prompted to craft fresh pieces employing one of the scarce operational Paintbox systems, furnished by Adrian Wilson. By utilising this seminal technology, they serve as a link between the past and the present, scrutinizing the apparatus's enduring influence on digital artistry and rejuvenating its inventive legacy for an emerging era.
History
History in the Making. Again
When the Quantel Paintbox launched in 1981, it transformed digital art, unlocking new creative possibilities and shaping the look of TV, film, and music. Artists like David Hockney and Richard Hamilton embraced this groundbreaking tool. With only 10-15 systems still functional, this exhibition offers the first comprehensive retrospective of the Paintbox era, showcasing original artworks, posters, album covers, and logos that defined a visual revolution.
1981
Quantel Paintbox is launched in a hotel suite during the National Association of Broadcasters expo in Las Vegas and initially cost $250’000. The first customer was the Weather Channel, followed by ABC, NBC, BBC and many other broadcasting studios.
1982
while working at NBC Network television as a graphic designer/director Michael E. Katz unintentionally created the first digital fake news video, creating a video of the Miami Orange Bowl Stadium on fire using the Paintbox, just a few hours before the championship game that evening. NBC executives immediately prohibited designers from using the Paintbox for personal projects, fearing that fake news could accidentally make it to broadcast.
1984
Adrian Wilson creates his first artwork on a Quantel Paintbox while he is studying photography at Blackpool School of Art. He is considered to be the first photographer to specialize in digital manipulation using a paint system.
1985
French Ministry of Culture commissions Chiara Boeri’s short film “Six peintres sur l’ordinateur”, realized by Christian Janicot, which presented six French painters Edouardo Arroyo, Francois Boisrond, Louis Cane, Léa Lubin, Kiki Picasso and Hervé Télémaque creating their first digital art
1985
Dire Straits uses the Paintbox to create the iconic music video “Money for Nothing”. It wins MTV video of the year.
1985
Quantel develops a photo resolution Paintbox five years before Photoshop 1.0 was released. Dozens of iconic movie posters such as Silence of the Lambs and record covers such as Nirvana’s Nevermind from the late 80s and early 90s were created on Paintbox.
1987
BBC broadcasts “Painting with Light” showcasing six contemporary painters David Hockney, Howard Hodgkin, Sir Sidney Nolan, Richard Hamilton, Jennifer Bartlett and Larry Rivers.
1989
A few months before his untimely death, Keith Haring flew to Rome for three days, just to work on a Paintbox and created more than 70 digital artworks and three animations.
2023
The Computer Arts Society’s „How Quantel’s Paintbox Changes Our World“ exhibition, curated by Adrian Wilson, opens at the British Computer Society in London.
2024
TATE Modern commissions Adrian Wilson to create a Paintbox Art video which premiered at TATE Modern Lates in November.
From the 1980s to 2025.
As part of the tour, contemporary artists create new works on one of the few remaining functional Paintbox systems provided by Adrian Wilson. Using the original technology, they connect past and present, exploring the tool’s lasting impact on digital art and renewing its creative legacy for a new generation.
History in the Making. Again
When the Quantel Paintbox launched in 1981, it transformed digital art, unlocking new creative possibilities and shaping the look of TV, film, and music. Artists like David Hockney and Richard Hamilton embraced this groundbreaking tool. With only 10-15 systems still functional, this exhibition offers the first comprehensive retrospective of the Paintbox era, showcasing original artworks, posters, album covers, and logos that defined a visual revolution.
1982
while working at NBC Network television as a graphic designer/director Michael E. Katz unintentionally created the first digital fake news video, creating a video of the Miami Orange Bowl Stadium on fire using the Paintbox, just a few hours before the championship game that evening. NBC executives immediately banned any designers from creating personal work on the Paintbox for fear fake news could be broadcast by mistake.
1982
while working at NBC Network television as a graphic designer/director Michael E. Katz unintentionally created the first digital fake news video, creating a video of the Miami Orange Bowl Stadium on fire using the Paintbox, just a few hours before the championship game that evening. NBC executives immediately prohibited designers from using the Paintbox for personal projects, fearing that fake news could accidentally make it to broadcast.
1984
Adrian Wilson creates his first artwork on a Quantel Paintbox while he is studying photography at Blackpool School of Art. He is considered to be the first photographer to specialize in digital manipulation using a paint system.
1985
French Ministry of Culture commissions Chiara Boeri’s short film “Six peintres sur l’ordinateur”, realized by Christian Janicot, which presented six French painters Edouardo Arroyo, Francois Boisrond, Louis Cane, Léa Lubin, Kiki Picasso and Hervé Télémaque creating their first digital art
1985
Dire Straits uses the Paintbox to create the iconic music video “Money for Nothing”. It wins MTV video of the year.
1985
Quantel develops a photo resolution Paintbox five years before Photoshop 1.0 was released. Dozens of iconic movie posters such as Silence of the Lambs and record covers such as Nirvana’s Nevermind from the late 80s and early 90s were created on Paintbox.
1987
BBC broadcasts “Painting with Light” showcasing six contemporary painters David Hockney, Howard Hodgkin, Sir Sidney Nolan, Richard Hamilton, Jennifer Bartlett and Larry Rivers.
1989
A few months before his untimely death, Keith Haring flew to Rome for three days, just to work on a Paintbox and created more than 70 digital artworks and three animations.
2023
The Computer Arts Society’s „How Quantel’s Paintbox Changes Our World“ exhibition, curated by Adrian Wilson, opens at the British Computer Society in London.
2024
TATE Modern commissions Adrian Wilson to create a Paintbox Art video which premiered at TATE Modern Lates in November.
From the 1980s to 2025.
As part of the tour, contemporary artists create new works on one of the few remaining functional Paintbox systems provided by Adrian Wilson. Using the original technology, they connect past and present, exploring the tool’s lasting impact on digital art and renewing its creative legacy for a new generation.