Dennis Miller, Reflect, 2006

Dennis Miller, Introspection, 2006

The SIGGRAPH 2006 Exhibition provided a snapshot of the state of audiovisual art: the established masters,upcoming talents, and new technologies which may soon reinvent the medium.

The dominant exhibit in the show, Charles Csuri's retrospective entitled "Beyond Boundaries", spanned his seminal contributions from the dawn of computer art to the present. Early work included black and white plotter adaptations of old masters, such as Cézanne and Degas. The recent works are three-dimensional moving sculptural paintings displayed in a full range of color on large plasma screens. Striking detail and a rich palette reflect Csuri's technical mastery. His visual symbology extends naturally from his progressive graphics techniques: ribbons as a building block of form, glass objects and shadows which balance the composition and exploit graphical ray tracing, and whirling flecks of paint and virtual plaster. Rooted in Western Fine Art, Csuri continues where Dali, Kandinski, and Klee left off, in his own unique digital dialect.

Works by animation master and composer Dennis Miller appeared in the Animation Theatre (Reflect, 2006)and in print (Introspection, 2006). These works depict elaborate, multilayered objects and settings, which evolve from one composition to another. Working with the added benefit of a music composition background, Miller allows his work to unfold over time with formal organization and a keen sense of pacing. Few animation artists today rival Miller's textural richness, organic treatment, and sheer creativity. Details and discussion on Miller's work appear in the recent text, "Art of the Digital Age" by Bruce Wands.

A Laser Plasma Display implied a possible future of animation art. An alternative to holography, this exhibit consisted of three-dimensional images moving through space high above the ground. The projection medium is only air, and the images consist of animated dot matrix shapes projected by high-energy lasers producing a plasma-emission effect: tiny points of animated, colored lightning. Currently better suited for commercial purposes, this technology is not practical for in-gallery applications due to the loud crackling sound from the rapidly expanding air and the smell of ozone. In spite of the science-fair ambience, this striking display of laser technology brings us a step closer to a world of imaging free from tubes and screens.

MIT featured a device targeting children, but with obvious intimations of the future of digital painting. A large plasma screen presided over a tray of colored objects, such as green apples, red balls, and a bluetextured cloth. The artist presses a paintbrush-like wand against the desired object, such as an apple or ball, triggering a small digital camera in the brush to take an image of the object. The plasma screen canvas is then painted upon by physically moving the brush across the screen surface. The small, digital image is rendered by computer across the screen in a stream of digital paint: apple green, ball red, textured blue, or any object the artist has last "imaged" with the brush. A hands-on demonstration revealed that the visceral effect of painting on this digital canvas is enormously more satisfying than painting with a mouse or even a high-end digital pen tablet. Children and Picassos of the future may someday be grateful.