Category: LookingOutwards-05

Aaron Lee – Looking Outwards – 05

Courtesy of Dom&Nic

Artist: Dom&Nic

Year: 2016

The music video of the song ‘Wide Open’ by The Chemical Brothers is directed by the director group Dom&Nic. In this seemingly one take 4 minutes film, the parts of dancer’s body slowly turn in to  3D printed lattice structure – a subsequent loss of her old self. This work was done by successfully merging the actions of the dancer with a 3D digital model. This genuine process involved with 1) Scanning dancer in full to create an exact digital replica 2) using in-house software to scan the background without the dancer for clean plates 3) camera shooting with meticulous tracking, 3d match-moving and animation.

I like this project because the technology really serves the vision of the artist. The dancer is now literally hollow, matching to the lyrics of the song.

Paul Greenway – Looking Outwards – 05

gif of “Seething” music video by Andy Lomas

The music video for Max Cooper’s “Seething“, by digital artist Andy Lomas, makes use of 3D computer graphics to create a visual that emulates biological cell growth. The cell, which is made up by a group of spheres, shifts throughout the song driven by software that is based on cell growth patterns. To do this, the software changes various parameters within the system such as the amount of force between spheres and the amount of “nutrients” available for growth. According to the artist, the animation aims to explore the aesthetics of biology rather than represent it in a scientifically accurate way. Regardless, the use of computer software as a generator of 3D graphics results in dynamic 3 dimensional forms that compliments the mood of the music while also capturing the attention of the audience. I definitely felt that the graphics fit the theme of the track well and overall helped to create a unique visual experience that enhanced the music.

Emma NM-LO-05

Andreas Wannerstedt Instagram

“Waves” (2019)

"Waves by Andreas Wannerstedt

I like this project by Andreas Wannerstedt because it is so mesmerizing, yet simple. It causes a little tension for the viewer because the ball could get off pace and run into the poles. However, it never does, which makes it difficult to pull away from watching it. It reminds me of the now popular ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) videos. It is meant to relax the viewer. I also really like the design of it. The color choices work well together to make the video feel softer and more soothing. The algorithms must have been thought out to make sure that the speed of the balls never hit the poles as their speed also stayed constant. The creator’s artistic sensibilities are shown through color choice and object choice. They could have chosen different objects that move in a repetitive, hypnotic motion, yet they chose cylinders and balls.

Ellan Suder Looking Outwards-05

I find the use of 3D computer graphics to make “deepfakes” interesting. The most recent big example I found was this video of a deepfaked Schwarzenegger impression on Conan. (2019)

The deepfake begins working at around 10 seconds in, which I wouldn’t have noticed without being told. Many people didn’t even notice the modifications.

The clip was edited by Tom [redacted], a graphic illustrator from the Czech Republic who created the video using free software to learn more about machine learning and artificial intelligence.

My first impression is that it’s really cool and impressive. People already like Facebook/Snapchat filters so much, and more advanced technology in this area will open up new possibilities for artworks. (For example, this Augmented Reality face filter that creates 3D face makeup). It reminds me of this commercial I saw that used CGI to “resurrect” Audrey Hepburn–my highschool teacher thought it was so interesting she showed our whole class. 

However, it is also troubling to consider how easily these videos can fool people. Like the creation of Photoshop meant that photographs would no longer be entirely trustworthy, this kind of software means that videos can no longer be taken at face value either. Lawmakers have been preparing to limit the spread of manipulated videos. Even Tom has commented on the potential malicious use of deepfakes, stating that “he’s sworn off creating political deepfakes or working for someone who wants them … It’s a good thing that not everyone can do it. People on the internet are animals, and they might use it for not very good stuff.”

Jamie Park – Looking Outwards – 05

Kilimanjaro’s “Peeling Therapy (2019)” on youtube

  • Kilimanjaro’s works to promote Wacom’s design contest (2019)

Roger Kilimanjaro is a professional 3d computer graphics artist based in Paris, France. Based on my research, he creates videos and 3d renderings of common everyday objects. He renders and makes videos of cupcakes, ice cream, donuts, and boxes. Although the pictures are not in this post, he also rendered donuts for an advertisement of Krispy Kreme.

Based on my research, he uses cinema 4D to render his images and videos. This means that he uses a software that has been coded by other people to achieve his goal. It’s cool that one can do something completely different and creative using a software coded by programmers. I wonder if the programmers knew that one could create nice images like those using their software.

The artist’s creativity and sensibility is heightened when assessing the colors of each image. The overall graphics are very well rendered and nice to look at.

Zee Salman -Looking Outwards – 05

*Grace Day*

I really find this kind of art very interesting, It really gives us a look into HCI and like intereaction design. I also like the different colors that presents itself during the activity. I like the different strokes also that appeares in the picture itself. It kind of acts like a mouse move or hover with some sort of drag. Also, it seems like the pitch it generates is based on the location of the  hand. Similar to a piano almost and I find that pretty cool. There are definetly some for loop statements.

Sydney Salamy: Looking Outwards-05

The piece I chose to discuss wasn’t really given a name, but was described as procedural mesh splitting using tyFlow, created in 2019 by Tyson Ibele. tyFlow being a particle simulation tool used for 3ds Max and created by  Ibele (instagram username _tyflow_). The work is a video showing a series of limbs and a face. These are slowly torn apart to reveal the insides, which are a gold substance that acts like a balloon.

  • I really enjoyed the work for the imagery. It starts off with what looks like a pretty realistic limb with a long gold cut on it. But then expectations are subverted as the limb pulls apart into two. This goes on throughout the video, with the only things really changing being the parts being ripped and the angle of the shot. So I guess what I admire about it is the subversion of expectations and what it’s caused by. Ibele takes something familiar like body parts and then makes them act very differently from how they’re supposed to act. I like how this kind of idea can be applied to so many different things and be taken in so many different directions. It  allows interesting imagery. No one would be able to see an arm or face act like this anywhere else. The way the gold parts reform really caught my as well eye since the result was stuff like a leg with three feet on the end, again, something that couldn’t really be see in real life.
  • I suppose the algorithms that generated/rendered the work must have been pretty complicated. The imagery in the video was very detailed, and the “jiggling” physics of the body parts seemed realistic, with a lot of different movements having to be generated.
  • The creator Ibele works a lot with 3D graphics, and his artistic sensibilities can be seen in the similarities between these works. Looking at his his pieces, it seems many of them kind of deal with “subverting expectations”. What I mean by this is that he’ll show something like a person or objects like Legos, and then he’ll make them act in unexpected ways. For example, he’ll have the person be made of ribbons, and as they walk they’ll unravel and fall apart. Or he’ll show water being poured or a small explosion taking place, but they will be made of Legos.

Lanna Lang – Looking Outwards – 05

Josh Pierce “Dailies”

I decided not to critique a single work of art that Pierce made simply because I love the whole collection that he calls “Dailies”. This collection is personal art pieces created using the programs Cinema 4D and Octane Render, which are software programs usually used by VFX artists and 3D computer graphic artists who want to create 3D objects through the computer that could interact with real space. What really inspires me and interests me is the sense of awe and tranquility his work gives me. The interaction between nature and technology is so mesmerizing to see as the two merge and collide and gives a sense of a fictional yet realistic environment.

These works of art are truly masterpieces that I cannot give any critiques that could make them better or more effective. This collection suggests some intriguing possibilities of what alternate universes, or the future world could look like, and it sends an aura of alien-like surroundings that are familiar yet different. What Pierce does fantastically with this collection is using Cinema 4D and Octane to create realistic images by matching the lighting of the sci-fi object with the created natural environment that makes it seem like it’s all in one space, instead of being computer-generated.

Pierce was inspired by the idea of colliding nature with technology and the juxtaposition that those two impose on each other and creating images that fall in fantasy and sci-fi.

One piece from his collection: “SON.OF.SUN”: I chose to include this one in my post because I love the interaction of every object and how the lights interacting with every object are so realistically depicted.
“Bubbles.”: Another piece that I included because I admired interaction between the fictional object and the rendered natural environment.
A video timelapse that shows how Pierce actually creates these images on Cinema 4D and Octane.

Ankitha Vasudev-Looking Outwards-05

Growth: Mysterious Gallery (1983) is a five-minute long animation sequence that was created by Yoichiro Kawaguchi – an artist who became popular for his unique style of art using computer graphics.

In this project, Kawaguchi created a self-organizing, procedural, modelling algorithm that could make many complex life forms. The inspiration for this project was natural and organic objects that exhibit repetitive patterns, such as shells, claws and spiraling plants. Kawaguchi wanted to create an algorithm to recreate these forms artistically. 

A scene from Growth:Mysterious Gallery

I admire this artist and project because of how realistic it’s 3D animation is. Additionally, this technique was one of the first of its kind. Kawaguchi used two process related to image rendering to create this animation: ray tracing and metaballs. Ray tracing defined the color to be rendered in order to add depth to the 3D image. Metaballs were first used by Kawaguchi to represent organic looking, n-dimensional objects. 

After this project, Kawaguchi continued to produce animated short films using 3D computer graphics. Some of his other notable works include Embryo(1988), Gigalopolis(1995) and Cytolon(2002).

Various clips from Growth: Mysterious Galaxy, 1983
Kawaguchi explaining the idea behind his animations

Siwei Xie – Looking Outwards – 05

Deer, Julian Bonequi, Digital 3D Collage, 2014

In 2014, Mexico City-based artist Julian Bonequi uses digital drawing technology to create surreal – yet lifelike – animal portraits. I admire the project because it is very detail-driven. The detail involved in each of Bonequi’s 3D compositions captivates the eye, making even the most mundane joint on the leg of an insect into a point of intense interest. The inspiration of Bonequi comes from nature, which he portraits animals with vibrant colors and scientific structures. 

The source does not include the exact software or technique the artist uses. However, his possible 3D drawing tools may be Blender, ZBrush, Lightwave, etc. He may creates the shining pink and purple bubbles, bright blue doughnuts and red-orange tubes by these tools.

Creator’s artistic sensibility manifests by capturing normal animals and transforming them into hyper-detailed psychotropic beings from another reality. His works include stag, grasshopper, tiger, elephant, scorpion, etc.

Tiger, Julian Bonequi, Digital 3D Collage, 2014

Original source here.