The Ohio State University

Advanced Computing Center for the Arts and Design (ACCAD)
OSU
Real-time Art, 1969 - 1973 ➔ Butterfly Dance

Moving Image

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Identifer

C07.13181

Creator

Charles A. Csuri, Computer Graphics Research Group (CGRG), Thomas DeFanti

Date

1971

Material

Software

Hardware

Algorithms

Notes

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Historical Significance

In 1969, the National Science Foundation (NSF) began their support of Csuris research, including Real-time art objects. These interactive art objects allowed the artist or viewer to determine aspects of the final aesthetic object, such as its color, path, and rotation. Csuri consistently worked from the perspective of a traditional painter, being principally concerned with visual structure, color, light, and spatial relationships. In reports to NSF, Csuri often refers to the artistic implications of their research findings. For example, in a grant report for the 1971-1972 period, Csuri states: We achieved some interesting results . . . . [including] the artistic usefulness of algorithms for hidden line and surface removal, linear interpolation, path following, data smoothing, shading and light source and reflection control, compounded transformations, data generation with sophisticated light pen drawing, and other techniques to control and manipulate visual information. . . . It was the orientation and goal-emphasis of the artist-animator, rather than the technologically oriented computer scientist, that determined the need for, and the development of, our user-oriented animation language [designed by Thomas DeFanti]. p. 1-2.