Much of the work covered under the rubric of art and science is computer-generated or computer-driven in some way, in the sense that the control of processes or events represented in art/science works is driven by some computer process.
Given the ubiquity of the computer in art/science work, this paper examines the initial development of data visualization (i.e. generating images from scientific data) in Australia, so that these images could further the understanding of the results of calculations based on physical, chemical, biological and other processes.
Various early computers in Australia were used for this type of work, and various techniques for presentation of the results were explored. From CSIRAC (1951) and SILLIAC (1956) to the PDP-8 minicomputer (1966), computers were used to create graphics and animations (1968) representing both scientific and artistic processes.
When computers began to be used for data reduction, there were few means for presenting results...