Art and Animation - IEEE Computer Society · PDF fileCharles A. Csuri is professor of art...

Guest Editors' Introduction Art and Animation Thomas A. DeFanti and Charles A. Csuri We have selected articles of interest to technicians, written by artists, which tend to be personal opinions and somewhat different in style from formal, detached scientific papers. We did not consider subjec- tive filtering of information to be anything negative but rather a chal- lenge to the reader. In fact, we hope that some of you will feel obliged to submit critiques of these articles for future publication in CG&A. We believe it is essential for practicing computer graphics professionals to understand and appreciate the tech- nological and cultural concerns of people whose life work is producing visuals. D Thomas A. DeFanti is an associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he is also director of the Electronic Visualization Laboratory. He is chairman of SIGGRAPH, and previ- ously secretary. His published work includes 13 papers, two chapters, and one book. He has also produced 15 videotapes, one of which, Spiral PTL, has won three international awards. He provided material for two commercial films: Star Wars, on which he worked with Larry Cuba, and UFO Target Earth. DeFanti is also president of Real Time Designs, Inc. Queens College awarded DeFanti his BA in 1969, and he received his PhD from Ohio State University in 1970. DeFanti can be contacted at the Dept. of Electrical Engineer- ing and Computer Science MC154, University of Illinois at Chicago, Box 4348, Chicago IL 60680. Charles A. Csuri is professor of art educa- tion and computer and information science at Ohio State University, where he is also director of the Computer Graphics Research Group, directing a full range of research tasks. Csuri is also executive vice president of Cranston/ Csuri Productions of Colum- bus, Ohio, where he oversees creation of the firm's 3-D computer-generated animation for major TV networks worldwide and for leading advertising agencies. Csuri has been featured in magazines internationally from Business Week to The London Sunday Times, has been a prolific contributor to professional publications, and has had his art exhibited in museums worldwide, including a piece in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Csuri received his Master of Fine Arts from Ohio State University in 1948. Csuri can be contacted at Cranston/ Csuri Productions, 1501 Neil Ave.,Columbus, OH 43201. 0272-1716/85/0700-0031$01.00 ©) 1985 IEEE July 1985 3 1

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Transcript of Art and Animation - IEEE Computer Society · PDF fileCharles A. Csuri is professor of art...

Page 1: Art and Animation - IEEE Computer Society · PDF fileCharles A. Csuri is professor of art educa-tion andcomputerandinformation science at Ohio State University, where he is also ...

Guest Editors' Introduction

Art and AnimationThomas A. DeFanti and Charles A. Csuri

We have selected articles of inter-est to technicians, written by artists,which tend to be personal opinionsand somewhat different in stylefrom formal, detached scientificpapers. We did not consider subjec-tive filtering of information to beanything negative but rather a chal-lenge to the reader. In fact, we hopethat some of you will feel obliged tosubmit critiques of these articles forfuture publication in CG&A. Webelieve it is essential for practicingcomputer graphics professionals tounderstand and appreciate the tech-nological and cultural concerns ofpeople whose life work is producingvisuals. D

Thomas A. DeFanti is an associate professorin the Department of Electrical Engineeringand Computer Science at the University ofIllinois at Chicago, where he is also directorof the Electronic Visualization Laboratory.He is chairman of SIGGRAPH, and previ-ously secretary. His published work includes13 papers, two chapters, and one book. Hehas also produced 15 videotapes, one of

which, Spiral PTL, has won three international awards. Heprovided material for two commercial films: Star Wars, onwhich he worked with Larry Cuba, and UFO Target Earth.DeFanti is also president of Real Time Designs, Inc. QueensCollege awarded DeFanti his BA in 1969, and he received hisPhD from Ohio State University in 1970.

DeFanti can be contacted at the Dept. of Electrical Engineer-ing and Computer Science MC154, University of Illinois atChicago, Box 4348, Chicago IL 60680.

Charles A. Csuri is professor of art educa-tion and computer and information scienceat Ohio State University, where he is alsodirector of the Computer Graphics ResearchGroup, directing a full range of researchtasks. Csuri is also executive vice presidentof Cranston/ Csuri Productions of Colum-bus, Ohio, where he oversees creation of thefirm's 3-D computer-generated animation

for major TV networks worldwide and for leading advertisingagencies. Csuri has been featured in magazines internationallyfrom Business Week to The London Sunday Times, has been aprolific contributor to professional publications, and has hadhis art exhibited in museums worldwide, including a piece in thepermanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in NewYork. Csuri received his Master of Fine Arts from Ohio StateUniversity in 1948.

Csuri can be contacted at Cranston/ Csuri Productions, 1501Neil Ave.,Columbus, OH 43201.

0272-1716/85/0700-0031$01.00 ©) 1985 IEEEJuly 1985 3 1

Page 2: Art and Animation - IEEE Computer Society · PDF fileCharles A. Csuri is professor of art educa-tion andcomputerandinformation science at Ohio State University, where he is also ...

"Bridget Riley's Painting 'Currents',"1966 by A. Michael Noll, is an early

attempt at simulating an existingpainting with a computer. Much of

"op art" uses repetitive patterns thatusually can be expressed very

simply in mathematical terms. Thesewaveforms were generated asparallel sinusoids with linear

increasing period and drawn on amicrofilm plotter. A. Michael Noll

also approximated Piet Mondrian'spainting "Composition With Lines"

statistically and created a digitalversion with pseudorandom num-

bers. Xerographic reproductions ofboth pictures were shown to 100

subjects, and the computer-gener-ated picture was preferred by 59.

"Sculpture," 1968 by Georg Nees, is one of the earliest sculptures created completelyunder computer control. This piece was exhibited at the Biennale in Venice in 1969. Neeshad a long-standing interest in the study of artificial visual complexity in connection withthe chance-determination relation. He programmed a Siemens 4004 computer to generatepseudorandom numbers, which were tightly controlled to determine width, length, anddepth of rectangular objects. The three-dimensional data was stored on magnetic tape andused to drive an automatic milling machine off line. The sculpture was cut from a block ofwood.

IEEE CG&A32