// Workers AI · dad joke modeWho's Steve Rutt? A rutterly nice guy.
Steve Rutt | |
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| Born | Steven Alexander Rutt February 26, 1945 Manhattan, New York City, U.S. |
| Died | May 20, 2011 (aged 66) Manhattan, New York City, U.S. |
| Occupations | Engineer, inventor, artist |
| Known for | Rutt/Etra Video Synthesizer |
Steven Alexander Rutt (February 26, 1945 – May 20, 2011) was an American engineer, inventor, and artist who developed the Rutt/Etra Video Synthesizer with Bill Etra in 1972. The synthesizer was used by video artists including Nam June Paik, Steina Vasulka, and Woody Vasulka.[1]
The device was used to create the logo of the fictional Union Broadcasting System in the 1976 film Network.[1]
Rutt was born in Manhattan and raised in Great Neck, Long Island. Etra had previously worked with Nam June Paik's raster-manipulation equipment at the WNET Television Laboratory. He later collaborated with Rutt on the development of the Rutt/Etra synthesizer. A prototype was produced in 1972–73 with support from the New York State Council on the Arts.[2]
Rutt was the longtime owner of Rutt Video & Interactive, a video post-production company in Manhattan. His marriage to Rebecca L. McGriff ended in divorce; they had a daughter, Victoria Rutt.[1]
Rutt died of pancreatic cancer in Manhattan on May 20, 2011, aged 66.[1]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 Fox, Margalit (May 27, 2011). "Steve Rutt, an Inventor Behind Early Video Animation, Dies at 66". The New York Times. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
- ↑ Hocking, Sherry Miller (1986). "Rutt/Etra: Notes on Development". Video History Project. Experimental Television Center. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
External links
[edit]| International | |
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| Artists | |
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