Stereo Torisia

This is a (quite imperfect) stereoscopic/ stereographic drawing I created by hand, featuring Torisia the paper planet. It was made using watercolor, walnut ink and a number of resin-like things: polyurethane, absorvent ground and a two part epoxy. One can never appreciate these textures fully  just from images..




The stereo pair is intended to be viewed using a 7 inch stereoscopic lense. It works quite alright for this purpose, but in order to share the effect more widely I converted it to piku-piku viewing, below.
Here you can see all the imperfections, while most of the detail is gone. But in order to correct it I would have to put in yet another ton of hours, for something that I am actually fine with just keeping  as an experiment for now (perhaps this is just the fate of so many of my works anyway).
 I do like the "feel" of it though, and the little accidental "meteor showers" that occured with this particular interface are kind of cool.

All that work and I'm still only half pleased, as it sometimes goes. It's only because it is so hard to create, capture and share what one imagines. Common art problem. But there is always something to gain from exploring territories unknown to me; if nothing else the experience of having done so.
More importantly, while working on these more technical-type projects I usually end up spacing out and creating spontaneous things on the side, which many times turn out to be more succesful in the end. Such might be the case of the sketch featured in my next post: "Archimedean Eclipse in my Sketchbook".
A lesson well learned.

AA12

Stereographic Drawing

I created this steresocopic (or stereographic) image by hand on March 19, 2010; using compass and straightedge, ink and watercolor on paper. It was created to be viewed using a pair of special stereoscopes, and I was super excited when I found it to work.

If you would like to learn the details as to how I created this drawing, check out this older post: stereo art! and to see how I displayed the final piece, and the concept behind the artwork itself check here.

I should clarify briefly here that this image has three alternative titles: "Outer Technology Reveals Inner Technologies" is the fully installed piece and display. The stereo drawing itself is called "Axis Anima Mundi Vessel" or "Columna Cerului" alternatively.

I have recently come back to this image to try and display it in some other, more publicly accesible way. I separated the image into the individual halfs of the stereo pair and alternated and cross faded these 2 pictures to create this video:





I hope you liked that. But this post is not about reviewing old work, but about expressing my excitement for this reencounter with stereoscopy. I am now in full research and production of new works that are also sterescopic and created by hand, but will hopefully reach new interesting and ambitious goals. I am looking forward to sharing these in due time. Thanks for visiting!



AA12

Geodesic sphere study

"Wrapping my Senses Around a Geodesic Sphere"
Incorrect stereoscopic image of shadow overlaping a pencil-drawn geodesic sphere, homage to Buckminster Fuller's Synergetics

AA11

Stereo Drawing update

So, here is the final version of my stereoscopic drawing entitled "Outer Technology Reveals Inner Technologies". It works! Of course here you only get to see the stereo pair as it looks in 2 dimensions, but through the lenses the 3D effect is quite effective. To experience this piece in the right way, you can stop by The Irma Freeman Center for Imagination, for a show running until May 7th, themed: "Antiquated and Future (or Imaginary) Technology". Learn more about the IF Center and this show here.



As you may notice, the two sets are not exactly the same, and so some interesting interference is created, especially in the colors of the vessel and in the background symbols. I took some liberties as far as creating very differing patterns on the background, so that when seen in stereo, the peripheral elements are not always in 3D. The result is somewhat similar to a certain optical illusion or effect, where the central object is in focus, but the periphery appears to be in motion, until you look at it directly. I am pretty pleased with this effect: it reminds me of a quantum chamber where the particles are multiple and fluctuating, but as one peeks in, only one particle is seen in the center.


Anyhow, here are some images of how the piece was set at the IF. Just for the fun I made one into a wiggle set.

(I love how the canister of chemical next to my piece says FOTOFLAT!)

Finally, here is the statement as it was presented in the show. In there, I finally get to address the actual significance and concept behind the drawing itself, in addition to the descriptions of the optical mechanism (to see more of the initial process, ideation and sketchbook pages go to my previous post "stereo art").

“Outer Technology Reveals Inner Technologies”
Stereoscopic drawing: pen, berry ink, tea, water media on paper.
March 28, 2010

Among a few of its kind, this stereoscopic drawing done by hand highlights an optical technology that is both ancient and new, both internal and external, which is stereoscopic vision. This drawing is also a depiction of a concept which is both ancient and new as well (representing the inner technology) which is the alchemical notion of the Axis/Anima Mundi.

The reason for using a stereoscopic technology (other than the fact that 3d imaging is awesome) is that its mechanics reference the process that our own brain engages in when interpreting visual images. When looking at the (external) world, our two eyes create two separate flat images of reality; slightly different perspectives of the same object. It is our (internal) brain that compiles these two images into one three-dimensional sense. While this phenomenon is as old as our physiology and perception, we normally take for granted the amazing collaboration between external and internal technologies to create –real or otherwise- sensory experiences. It is only more recently that strong interest in this specific optical technology has re-emerged. Today we enjoy movies in 3D that appear to get closer and closer to the likeness of reality. Pretty soon we might come to confirm that what is real is always and only bound to our perception.

The depiction itself is of a personal combination meta-symbol which is very significant to me. It is the Axis Mundi, or “world spine”, which in this case I have fused to the Anima Mundi, or “soul of the world.” These are ideas that fascinate me, and that I have studied a bit. The world axis is a “tube” of sorts which connects realms to one another. Traditionally, the Axis Mundi connects the middle world to the heavens and to the underworld. It is a symbol that can take a large number of forms, and its use is rather universal. The Anima Mundi is the “soul of the world”, also known as God or Spirit, and it is the living force that animates matter, or the life source. Here I interpret the two as one, materialized as a vessel. The vessel is revealed as a type of vision; cloudy, undefined - yet clearly present- and fluctuating between being a solid object and a dream.

Like other of my works, this piece is an object that is broad in scope and multilayered. It is a material offering that references an inner realm or state, which can only be referred to metaphorically, and can only be received on an individual basis. The title of this piece is a direct reference to my most consistent (and at this point repetitive) definition of art, which is: Art is the conscious or spontaneous technology of manipulating physical matter, creating objects that reference non-physical ideas and emotions, that are in turn more closely connected to our transcendental self. An external technology such as art can reveal internal technologies such as knowledge, devotion and passion.

I was going to write more about the Axis/Anima Mundi concept here, but that would require a whole lot more writting that I don't feel like delivering right now. Instead you may be interested in checking out the Wikipedia definition of Axis Mundi. There is enough exciting stuff there to get a whole cosmic revolution started! I also need to catch up with my next post, about the first Island Vessel vivarium. Both this piece and the vivarium were shown during the GAGI (Geek Arts and Green Innovators festival), starting yesterday April 2, 2010.
Don't miss experiencing "Outer Technology Reveals Inner Technologies" while its up!
Thanks for hanging out...

AA1o

Stereo Art

It was inevitable that I would get into 3d imaging and stereoscopy. I have long been interested in vision, perception and optical and visual technologies of all kinds.

For a while, I have been asking the question of how to create a rendition of something that is true to its original form. For example, I may draw in order to capture a dream that I have had, but the quality of the rendition is usually very poor compared to the likeness of the dream itself.
So the technical challenge arises: How to create objects that remain more true to the full physical attributes of their original source? How to create an artwork of a flower that has the smell, vibrancy, depth, softness and life of the flower that inspired its creation? This is a lovely challenge that I can't say I have even begun grasping, but even if it is impossible, it drives me!

Also, say I create something like this, how could I share it with you at a distance?

So the idea is that, I think stereoscopic images can sometimes do a pretty decent job at conveying some of the attributes of physical things.
I decided to take stereoscopic pictures of some of my works, and then I made small cardboard stereoscopes so that one could view them. I was really happy with these, I made 15 of them and thought they were gonna sell out! I still have all 15...
BUT.... since I can't really show you those because you have to look through some lenses, I converted them to what is called Piku-Piku, or Wiggle sets.
Check them out:

This is "Hippocolupterus Sapiens"

And this one is the "POK Goddess"

"The Insect Maker"

And the "Cosmic Trickster Mask"

So these are cool, but they are not what I meant by stereo art. These are just stereoscopic pictures of some of my works. The real challenge I am working with right now is to create a stereoscopic image that is not a photo pair but a pair of drawings that are hand made.
Did you know that Dali actually made a real pair of stereoscopic paintings?!


...that insane genius...

So now I am working on a wet media drawing that is stereoscopic. It's been crazy difficult but it is finally taking shape. I will keep the experiment to myself until it is completed, but I will share a couple of process pages from my sketchbook, to give an idea.











The pair has now been transfered to a piece of watercolor paper and I will render it using tea and Ibiscus flower, and possibly oil pastel and watercolor. I have to color each of the two slightly different drawings in the exact same way...
Wish me luck!
And when I'm done, I'll also tell you what the actual image is about.
Thanks for stopping by!

AA1o