Leonardo da Vinci Series

From 1963 to 1964, Csuri created his first analog computer works, reimagining classical pieces by old masters he admired. This process involved transforming traditional art using scientific tools, resulting in a new artistic style marked by unpredictability and controlled chaos. By simplifying and manipulating these works, Csuri explored the tension between position, rotation, and scale. These early works laid the foundation for his later digital experiments.

Csuri’s transition from analog to digital allowed him to honor the masters in a new way. Using his experiments with the analog computer as a basis, he reinterpreted Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man through the lens of digital technology. Applying mathematical concepts to transform his drawing such as a circle inversion and square, Csuri created a stunning homage to the master, manipulating the figure with computer algorithms to alter its original form. This series, inspired by da Vinci’s iconic sketch, is part of Csuri's broader exploration of transformation and serves as a testament to his deep admiration for classical art. Further, Csuri had a fundamental understanding of Leonardo da Vinci as an inventor, scientist, engineer and artist in his quest for knowledge and envisioning the future. Csuri had a historic book he studied extensively on the master, and hundreds of Csuri’s image files have the word Leo in their names.

Work from Csuri’s Vitruvian Man series was highlighted in influential publications such as The Computer in Art by Jasia Reichardt (1971) and Computer Graphics and Art (Vol. 1 & 2) edited by Grace C. Hertlein (1976). This series was featured in the groundbreaking Cybernetic Serendipity exhibition in 1968 and showcased in the 2006 retrospective Beyond Boundaries: Csuri Retrospective at the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts in Taiwan and at SIGGRAPH Boston, USA, in 2007.