Steve Rutt

Steve Rutt
Born
Steven Alexander Rutt

(1945-02-26)February 26, 1945
Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
DiedMay 20, 2011(2011-05-20) (aged 66)
Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
OccupationsEngineer, inventor, artist
Known forRutt/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.

The device was used to create the logo of the fictional Union Broadcasting System in the 1976 film Network.

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.

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.

Rutt died of pancreatic cancer in Manhattan on May 20, 2011, aged 66.

References

  1. 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.
  2. ↑ Hocking, Sherry Miller (1986). "Rutt/Etra: Notes on Development". Video History Project. Experimental Television Center. Retrieved August 30, 2026.