Experience the Future of Art: Laurence Gartel’s “MIAMI-NORMANDIE” Launch Weekend

Experience the Future of Art: Laurence Gartel’s “MIAMI-NORMANDIE” Launch Weekend, a two-day celebration of Laurence Gartel’s MIAMI-NORMANDIE. Known globally as the Father of Digital Art, Gartel brings his vibrant genius to France for a landmark exhibition and immersive weekend.

This momentous gathering invites collectors, creatives, and connoisseurs to witness the past, present, and future of art through the lens of a singular visionary—whose impact spans five decades and now converges with AI and robotics.

Saturday, September 13: Celebration and Immersion

The festivities commence with a press conference at Hôtel de Ville Park (3:30 PM)—a rare opportunity to engage directly with Gartel as he reflects on his groundbreaking journey in digital art. Media representatives and VIP guests are invited to an exclusive conversation with the artist.

At 4:30 PM, join Madame Mayor and Laurence Gartel for the official opening of his 50-Year Retrospective. This ribbon-cutting ceremony at Hôtel de Ville Park will unveil a sweeping tribute to Gartel’s legacy—an exploration of digital culture before it became mainstream.

The evening continues at 6:30 PM with the Opening Reception of the AI and Robotics Exhibitions at the Grand Casino Gallery / Domaine de Forges. This visionary showcase highlights the intersection of art and artificial intelligence—featuring never-before-seen works co-created with AI, as well as Gartel’s mesmerizing robotic sculptures. Guests will also have the opportunity to receive a signed copy of his latest book.

Sunday, September 14: Encounters and Innovation

Day two is designed for more intimate engagement and thought-provoking conversation.

Start the morning at 11:00 AM with Coffee and Entertainment in the Park, where guests can mingle casually with Gartel amidst live surprises at Hôtel de Ville Park.

Then, at 12:30 PM, indulge in a private brunch at Domaine de Forges, a refined setting for deeper dialogue and connection.

The afternoon crescendos with the World Premiere of “DIGITAL TITAN” at 2:30 PM in the Ambassadors Hall, Grand Casino—a powerful documentary chronicling Laurence Gartel’s artistic journey and cultural impact.

Finally, at 3:45 PM, witness a live robotics demonstration, followed by a conference on the future of art and technology. Gartel’s robotic creations will take center stage in an interactive performance, concluding with a public roundtable and the official closing of the weekend.

Join Laurence Gartel in Normandy and be part of digital art history.

This weekend is more than an exhibition—it’s a frontier where tradition meets the cutting edge. Whether you're a collector, investor, or innovator, this is an unprecedented opportunity to connect with a living legend and the future of art itself.

For more information and updates, follow the event page on Instagram: @miami_normandie

Laurence Gartel "The Father of Digital Art", part of the Greatest Photographers of All Times exhibition & FotoMentor Award 2009

 

Laurence Gartel "The Father of Digital Art", part of the Greatest Photographers of All Times exhibition & winner of the FotoMentor Award in 2009.

Laurence Gartel: Known as ‘The Father of Digital Art’, Gartel’s vision was to create electronic images, capture them with a still camera off a monitor as there were no saving devices or software to store the created picture. He saw these images as works of Art that would eventually replace painting. In 1985 he delivered the keynote speech at the First Pan Pacific Computer Conference in Melbourne, Australia predicting the future of the world, which landed him on the front page of “The Australian” Newspaper. This was the same year he taught Andy Warhol how to use the Amiga Computer to create the album cover for Debbie Harry (Blondie.) It was a moment when “Pop Art met Digital Art.” In 1991, he produced his famous ABSOLUT GARTEL ad for Absolut Vodka. Gartel had a feature exhibition at the Norton Museum of Art, and in 2009 he received the Palm Beach Photographic Centre’s prestigious FOTOmentor Award. In his 40+ year career he created artwork for the 57th Annual Grammy Awards; Newport Jazz Festival; NASA; Monaco International Film Festival; Feature of the 113th New York International Auto Show; Oslo Motor Show Norway and much more.

'Art Class Model'. 3 x 4.75 inches, 1980. Signed in pencil.

Rare Digital Art by Laurence Gartel 'Nude' Series, Circa 1979 – 1982 Laurence Gartel is a living legend. Hailed as the first graphic artist of the digital age, Laurence Gartel stands at the top of his artistic niche as the acknowledged “Father of Digital Art”. A born and bred New Yorker, he perfected his iconoclastic style with the likes of Andy Warhol, whom he introduced to computer artistry even before Mac and the PC came on the scene. Like Warhol, Gartel blurred the line and created a bridge between fine art and graphic artistry.   'Lovers Lane', 3.5 x 4.75 inches, 1982. Signed in pencil. Gartel’s trailblazing in digital art was unthinkable when he started his career in 1975. He was working at the University at Buffalo, Media Study Department on analog system computers when he met video guru Nam June Paik who wrote the Introduction to what is thought to be the first book on digital art: “Laurence Gartel: A Cybernetic Romance” published by Gibbs Smith in 1989. The same year, Gartel created the first cover of Forbes Magazine and held an exhibition of works titled, “Nuvo Japonica” made on a Commodore Amiga Computer that replaced Van Gogh’s “Irises” at the Joan Whitney Payson Gallery in Portland, Maine.   'Untitled Nude', 3.5 x 4.75 inches, 1982. Signed in pencil.   'The Father of Digital Art', Laurence Gartel has created works of art for The Coca-Cola Company, the National Basketball Association, Absolut Vodka, and he was the official artist of the 57th Grammy Awards, and was also featured in Apple’s famous “Think Different” ad just to name a few. Gartel stands at the top of his artistic niche as the acknowledged “Father of Digital Art”. He created his first piece of digital art in 1975 at Media Study Buffalo in upstate New York and also created the first digital ad for Absolut Vodka. Gartel has exhibited at MoMA The Museum of Modern Art, the Princeton University Art Museum, a museum retrospective at the Norton Museum of Art in 1991, and his work in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern History at the Smithsonian, he has held numerous exhibitions and shows within South Florida, the United States and Europe over the course of his career. Laurence Gartel has written and published many books, he’s been featured in countless art history books and was also Andy Warhol’s computer arts teacher. He has worked with famous faces like Debbie Harry, the Sex Pistols, and more recently, Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears. Gartel also produces stunning art cars such as his recent Saratoga-themed Maserati which marked his 58th such creation, others include a Ferrari Scuderia 430, and a Tesla Roadster among many fine or classic vehicles that Gartel has designed, each iconic paint job tells a story.   'Debbie', 2.75 x 4.5 inches, 1979. Signed in pencil. Gartel's Nude series are rare, limited works created in the early days of his career between 1979 - 1982. These little gems are matted and signed, each piece holds a story. They are available for sale exclusively through the artist's personal collection. For pricing and shipping information, contact Laurence Gartel via email: Gartel@aol.com Read our Feature Editorial: http://www.themiamiartscene.com/laurence-gartel-the-father-of-digital-art-has-boldly-gone-where-no-artist-went-before/

Laurence Gartel, "The Father of Digital Art", Has Boldly Gone Where No Artist Went Before

Laurence Gartel is a living legend. Hailed as the first graphic artist of the digital age, Laurence Gartel stands at the top of his artistic niche as the acknowledged “Father of Digital Art”. A born and bred New Yorker, he perfected his iconoclastic style with the likes of Andy Warhol, whom he introduced to computer artistry even before Mac and the PC came on the scene. Like Warhol, Gartel blurred the line and created a bridge between fine art and graphic artistry. 

“Self Portrait of the Artist” (c) Laurence Gartel 2017

Gartel’s trailblazing in digital art was unthinkable when he started his career in 1975. He was working at the University at Buffalo, Media Study Department on analog system computers when he met video guru Nam June Paik.

Nam June Paik went on to write the Introduction to what is thought to be the first book on digital art: “Laurence Gartel: A Cybernetic Romance” published by Gibbs Smith in 1989. The same year, Gartel created the first cover of Forbes Magazine and held an exhibition of works titled, “Nuvo Japonica” made on a Commodore Amiga Computer that replaced Van Gogh’s “Irises” at the Joan Whitney Payson Gallery in Portland, Maine.

Fort Lauderdale Film Festival, 1995. Cibachrome Print, 40″ x 30″

Gartel’s vision was to create electronic images by capturing them with a still camera off a monitor, as there were no saving devices or software to store the created picture. In 1985, he delivered the keynote speech at the First Pan Pacific Computer Conference in Melbourne, Australia predicting the future of the world, which landed him on the front page of The Australian Newspaper. This was the same year he taught Andy Warhol how to use the Amiga Computer to create the album cover for Debbie Harry (Blondie). It was a moment when “Pop Art met Digital Art”.

In the true innovative sense, Gartel received the commission to produce ABSOLUT GARTEL for Absolut Vodka, utilizing the first digital camera by Canon. The “file” itself was 900K – less than a megabyte. This astounded everyone as to how something with “low” resolution could command the attention of the advertising and art world. He was also featured in Apple’s famous “Think Different” ad and has created works of art for Coca-Cola, the National Basketball Association, and other top brands and personalities.

Warp, 1996. Ink-Jet Print, 11″ x 8 1/2″
Collection: Coca Cola Company, All Rights Reserved

Gartel achieved the prodigious accomplishment of having his work hanging in the Museum of Modern Art before he turned 25, and he remains on the cutting edge of his profession today. His resume includes exhibits at Palm Beach Photographic Center, a museum retrospective at the Norton Museum of Art, Joan Whitney Payson Museum, Princeton University Art Museum, Bibliotheque Nationale Paris, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, and the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern History at the Smithsonian to name a few.

Clown Cuzin, 2000. An ink jet print, this collage was made in Painter and Photoshop running on an IntelliStation. It was exhibited at the Edison College Gallery of Art.

His work has also graced the pages and covers of many well-known magazines such as Forbes, ART-IN-AMERICA, Artforum, Sotheby’s, Art and Auction, Art and Antiques, ArtByte, Scientific American, and NY Magazine.

Double Disguise, 1989. This R Type print selection was created on a Commodore Amiga, first exhibited at the Joan Whitney Payson Museum of Art in Portland, Maine

The artist’s 40-year career has touched all points of the globe: from creating a Bollywood-style video and music multimedia work commissioned by Universal Studios; to delivering the keynote speech at the Fotographica Congress in Orvieto, Italy to receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Globus Family Trust; official artist of the 57th Grammy Awards; artist of the Newport Jazz Festival; NASA MMS Launch at Kennedy Space Center; official artist of the Monaco International Film Festival, to being the feature of the Oslo Motor Show in Norway.

Coney Island Baby, 1999. Giclee print, 13″ x 9″

These days, Gartel, who now calls Miami home, has shifted gears taking his art to a whole new frontier – car art. His commissioned creations include a Tesla Electric Art Roadster, a Ferrari Scuderia 430, a 1984 Rolls Royce Spirit, a 1957 Lincoln Premier Convertible, a 1959 Fleetwood Cadillac Limousine, and a 1963 Chevy Pickup among other fine or classic vehicles. Each iconic paint job tells a story.

For instance, Gartel says, “On the 1959 Cadillac I depict the space race against the former Soviet Union as well as Castro’s influence and the addition of Hawaii as America’s 50th state.”€ His ‘Auto-Motion’ exhibition has been captured on film for the big screen in Britain, Australia, and many other countries around the globe, as well as in a luxury edition of a hard-bound coffee table book. He followed that up with his ‘Supercar’ series and then, in 2012, with the Fireball Run: Northern Exposure film and live streaming event.

Gartel earned a BFA degree in Graphics at the School of Visual Arts where he interacted with renowned graffiti artist Keith Haring. He studied for an MA in Photography under Arthur Leipzig at CW Post College and later began his electronic career working side by side with video guru Nam June Paik at Media Study/Buffalo in upstate New York in 1975.

Gartel’s recent installation “Welcome To Miami” at Virgin MiamiCentral

For more information about this fascinating artist, for sales, exhibitions and project inquiries, to commission an art piece or an art car, please visit https://gartelmuseum.weebly.com/