An exhibition titled “How Quantel’s Paintbox Changed Our World” at the Phoenix Cinema and Arts Centre in Leicester, U.K., showcases 20 long-lost digital artworks made with the Quantel Paintbox, a pioneering 1980s computer graphics machine. The works, created by artists including David Hockney, Keith Haring, Larry Rivers, and Jennifer Bartlett, were tracked down by graffiti artist and photographer Adrian Wilson, an early Paintbox user. The exhibition is organized by the Computer Arts Society and marks the first public display of these pieces.
The Paintbox was a revolutionary tool that allowed artists to create digital images with a stylus and drawing surface, influencing broadcast television, MTV, and music videos before being eclipsed by Adobe Photoshop after Quantel lost a patent infringement case. This exhibition matters because it recovers a forgotten chapter in digital art history, highlighting how the Paintbox enabled artists to experiment with new media and helped launch careers. It underscores the machine’s role in bridging traditional art-making and digital technology, a legacy that remains relevant as digital art continues to evolve.