The term »algorists« was introduced in 1995, after Jean-Pierre Hébert had suggested it, to identify artists who employ original algorithms in the process of creating their art. Such an artistic practice has a deep history that goes back to pre-computer times. It would deserve a book to be written about it. Would this not be worth a Ph.D. thesis? Or does such already exist? Algorithmic art, implemented with the aid of computers, reaches back to the 1960’s but algorithmic art precedes the advent of computers.

The group is not a group in the sense of an artists’ group in the 20th century, and even before. It is more a group in mind and thinking, sharing not so much their styles or subject matters, but mainly the activity of developing algorithms to control the production of images.

In this sense, there was not even a special event of founding the group. When Hébert, Roman Verostko, and Ken Musgrave were sitting together and enjoying themselves and, perhaps, some of the surroundings, they decided that now the algorists existed. In the sequel, they asked others to join.

Roman Verostko writes about algorithms and his art and celebrates the algorists: SOURCE