Caroline Song – Looking Outwards 05

The 3D computer graphics image I chose depicts three ballerinas dancing outside while the sun is setting. I was first drawn to this image because of the way the image is made, by integrating triangles to carve out the forms. I thought it interesting the combination of using geometric, rigid shapes to describe a scene that is so airy and contains such natural forms.

I also admire this piece because of the different ways I can experience it, from both near and far. From afar, I cannot tell the triangles are making up the entire piece, and therefore, it looks like a painting or an image. But when I come up closer, I can see it is the triangles that are carving out the image, and therefore, I can experience the duality between geometric and natural forms.

I suppose the algorithm used to create this piece of art had to do with the optimization of the triangles and the way each triangle is set to a single color, and together with all the other triangles, this creates the piece.

Another part of this piece that I am intrigued by is the artists’ use of when to show the outlines of the triangles and when to not. It seems that they made the choice to show the outlines in a gradient, as the far right showcases the lines most prominently and from there, as the viewer’s eyes move to the left, the lines fade. I believe this shows the artists’ artistic tendencies because the placement of the triangles themselves needed to be intentional and attractive, based on what the artists wanted to be shown. In this case, I think they wanted to show the light contrast from one end of the piece to the other, which is so prominent through the triangle outlines, and may not have been as noticeable otherwise.