Levitated | Anaglyph Garden, organic three dimensional crops of computer generated objects

viewing plots of computational growth through red and blue lenses and across organic surfaces

Harvesting Generative Images in 3D

This exhibit is a three dimensional exploration of flat, generative constructs projected onto curved surfaces.

The third dimension of the Anaglyph Gardens can be seen through red and blue lenses as a series of organic forms rising out of computer generated planes.

computational rendering. properly viewed through red/blue glasses. Red lens over the left eye, blue/cyan lens over the right eye.

To begin the exploration, computaional systems are grown in a customized, generative paint program written in Macromedia Flash MX. The paint program allows real time creation and positioning of three types of reactive elements, space filling words, self connecting nodes, and recursive limbs.

figure a. typical results of the space filling word algorithm

The space filling word algorithm recursively fills a region of space with increasingly smaller type. The source of English words comes from external files containing lines of poetry or hard coded collections of self-similar word sets. Filled regions of space were texture mapped into computational scenes and projected onto models.

The node garden algorithm instantiates thousands of self-connecting nodes over a short period of time. The resulting computational structure is an interconnected network of simple elements. These node gardens were projected onto female figures and photographed in three dimensions. More information on the node garden.

figure b. typical results of the node garden algorithm

The tree garden generates a forest of recursively grown trees. Properties of the tree such as branching, trunk size, and age are controlled by settings within the paint program. Individual trees were painted onto models in real time and stereo-photograped.

figure c. typical forest growth of the recursive tree algorithm

Each unique generated composition is then projected across curved, organic surfaces. This resulting multidimensional scene is then stereo photographed.

Finally, pairs of photos are digitally combined to produce a 3D anaglyph.

stereo photograph. four women in projected in the organized light of a Node Garden. The stereo photographic technique used here places all three dimensional forms behind the plane of the screen. This presents the illusion that the scene is being viewed through a window.

This stereo photographic process is utilized in installations with live models, and also within purely computational environments where the object being projected onto is mathematical. Both types of images will appear three dimensional when viewed through red and blue glasses.

computational rendering. a collection of metaspheres covered with the word fill algorithm. This form was rendered in a computational environment. The technique used here places the object midway between the plane of the screen.

Please read About Anaglyph for more information on the anaglyphic process and custom manufactured 3D glasses.