Cybernetic
The Cybernetic playing cards is a deck printed to showcase the art of Ivan Moscovich, an artist, inventor, and author.
The deck features artwork created by Moscovich utilizing his Harmonograph device, each card hosting a unique and beautiful display. To quote from the ad card in the deck:
Art by Ivan Moscovich
Images on these cards were created through a collaboration between man and machine. Ivan Moscovich patented his harmonograph device in 1967 and soon after his revolutionary approach to drawing was featured in an exhibition titled Cybernetic Serendipity at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London.
A ground-breaking visual artist, inventor and author, his work attracted the attention of creative luminaries such as M.C. Escher and Frank Oppenheimer. Moscovich holds over 100 patents for toys and games and his best-selling puzzle books have been translated into a dozen languages. He is a survivor of the Holocaust and the founder of Israel's Museum of Science and Technology in Tel Aviv. As of this writing, he is 93 years old and still creating new works.
These cards were originally made available by Art of Play as offerings for the 2021 Mystery Deck, though we get a hint at when these cards were produced as Moscovich is 95 as of the quote above. As you'll find below, the deck was later made available for purchase on Art of Play's website.
Check out more about Cybernetic Serendipity here.
The deck consists of 56 cards:
- 52 playing cards, each custom
- 2 non-identical jokers
- 1 ad card featuring the quoted text above
Where to buy?
Last I checked, you should be able to pick up Cybernetic at Art of Play. The last price tag I saw for this deck was set at $18.00.