Mark Atkinson

Mark Atkinson, Technical Director of Computer Artworks.

Mark Atkinson has been designing and writing software for 16 years. He co-wrote a number of home computer games during the early 80's, before going on to study Computer Science at Glasgow University at 16. After graduating with honours, he took his interest in the specialist fields of artificial intelligence and genetic algorithms into industry, creating leading-edge software systems for a number of large international companies.

Mark is joint director of Computer Artworks Ltd an independent company founded by William Latham. It aims to fuse computer art and science to create innovative technologies and unique imagery across a wide range of media.Computer Artworks was probably best known for "Organic Art", a program which allows you to "evolve" art on your computer, picking out which strains you like best and breeding them to produce eerily beautiful pictures that look like some sort of bizarre prehistoric life form.

The programs have sold by the bucket-full, and have been used to create organic artwork for clothes, books, and cinema trailers, as well as producing the covers for The Shamen's

In 1995 William Latham was also joint video director on The Shamen's pop promos 'Destination Eschaton' and 'Transamazonia' - with Computer Artworks creating the computer animation and single and album cover imagery. Other Shamen projects include producing a 'Rave Edit' of Latham Computer Animation for Glastonbury Rock Festival and the design of giant inflatable 'ammonites' and 'pumpkins' for live concerts. Latham also directed The Shamen's video for the single 'Heal The Separation' and created the well-known 'Freudian' cover image.