SIGGRAPH 2006: Charles A. Csuri: Beyond Boundaries (1963-present)

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Chair(s):

Bonnie L Mitchell -
- Bowling Green State University
Janice M. Glowski -
- The Ohio State University

Art Show Administrator(s):

Anne Behrnes

Location:

Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America

Dates:

July 30th-August 3rd, 2006

Art Show Overview:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost (1874 – 1963), The Road Not Taken

Each work in the SIGGRAPH 2006 Intersections exhibition metaphorically represents a journey that the artist has undertaken. As the work developed, the artist traveled along a path, encountering intersections where new ideas, techniques, media, people, and obstacles converged. It was here, at these crossroads, that the piece began to take on form; the meaning and direction became defined. At each intersection, important decisions had to be made. The trail behind the artist led back to familiar territory, and the road ahead led to further exploration of existing knowledge. The intersecting paths offered challenges and exciting opportunities to explore new concepts, integrate new media, and experiment with unfamiliar processes. At each intersection, the artist needed to stop and assess the situation, sometimes giving way to others who moved ahead or in another direction.

Stopping in the middle of an intersection is often dangerous – collisions are inevitable. The convergence of ideas, goals, processes, technologies, and people from various disciplines can be shattering. Innovation and creative vision emerge only after numerous unsuccessful, yet knowledge-gaining encounters at intersections. Traveling an unknown path is also not without risk. It takes a courageous person with perseverance to dare to do things differently. Many people choose to take the easy, well-known path. The artists in the Intersections exhibition are those who dared to seek out intersections and new paths and venture off into unknown territory.

The artwork in the Intersections exhibition exemplifies the highest quality contemporary digital artwork from around the world. The SIGGRAPH 2006 artists have merged their interests in science, electronics, social sciences, humanities, and/or pop culture with their desire to express themselves through the production of art. Their works reflects the convergence of technical and artistic concerns where identities, politics, social issues, and technology are constantly being negotiated. In the SIGGRAPH community, where artists are researchers and technicians, and researchers and technicians transform into artists, the segregation of disciplines collapses. In this environment, digital art is not seen as an end in itself, but as a place where people from various fields can tangibly cross paths, allowing for new connections to be made.

This year’s Art Gallery includes 2D, 3D, and 4D wall-hung work, electronic installation art, sculpture, art animations, sound installations, interactive monitor-based artwork, electronically mediated performance, theoretical papers, panels, artist and performer presentations, and an extensive retrospective exhibition of Charles A. Csuri’s work. All of the works exhibited or performed use technology as an integral element. They all exemplify the creative intersection of concept, technical innovation, and artistic expression.

Bonnie Mitchell

SIGGRAPH 2006 Art Gallery Chair
Bowling Green State University