The SIGGRAPH 95 Art Gallery JacquelynMarfino The SIGGRAPH 95 Art Gallery held in Los Angeles, California and chaired by Kenneth O'Connell, Professor of Art at the University of Oregon, lived up to high expectations presenting a broad range of exciting works. Perhaps most noteworthy of this year's collection was the fine balance between beautiful and organic works on paper and installations with innovative, technologically challenging interactive works. Some of the most engaging 2D w o r k included pieces by Jeff Brice, Keary Edwards, Diane Fenster, Peter Patchen and Lynn Pocock. Brice delicately juxtaposes art and science in his pieces Gravity and Quantum Qupids. The layering of quantifiable scientific imagery with figurative abstractions of the scientific draws the viewer readily into the compositions. Delightfully, the discovery and exploration of the many physical layers of the works raise more questions about scientific explanation than they assume answers. Edwards' diptych, Untitled~Family, creates a mysterious mood through use of color and compositional elements. The predominantly dark red-brown field is punctuated in the foreground by the light from a crumpled page, clutched by a hand. In the distance a couple walks hand-in-hand. This use of cinematic structuring calls into question the relation between the visual elements, transforming the actual figures into universal symbols for the audience to personalize with each viewing. In Canto One~The Aurora Borealis and Canto Three~Circumstantial Evidence, Fenster presents breathtaking images from a larger series. Her use of layered, blended text and photographic imagery hints at a specific narrative and resolution, but the dreamlike qualities achieved through color and texture belie this notion allowing the viewer to create their own personal stories and impressions. Patchen's Listening To The Past and Unbound Ingress present a unique combination of the organic and inorganic in the use of materials as well as through the imagery. In a sort of visual shorthand, icons from the digital and analogue ages are collaged together on wood blocks. The viewer's attention is momentarily divided between old and new, but grainy prints and wood textures seem to suggest that the digital age is not as much future as it may be already past. Pocock's haunting piece from the series Linger: Things Left Behind explores the intimate process of personal change. This textural, monochromatic work presents softfocused breathy images that seem to whisper to us from within the confines of their confident, strong-edged borders. The compositional elements leave the viewer with a simultaneous sense of promise for the future and despair from things past. A standout among the impressive installations was Clea T. Waite's Nothing Broke But The Heart which combines colorful video and monochromatic prints on suspended Plexiglass. The installation creates an environmental poem exploring the state of the artist's heart. The attention to the lighting of the space as well as within the video guides the viewer's eye through the layers of suspended prints to the video monitor where they become mesmerized by the quickly changing, pulsating imagery. The juxtaposition of the chaotic moving imagery with the tranquil presentation of the still imagery suggests that the physical and emotional states of the body, specifically the heart, are fragile yet strong. In addition to 2D works and installations, this year's collection of interactive works represents an interesting range of ideas and technological approaches. Perhaps the most organic of the works, Greetings from Chicago, was presented by Niki Nolan. Nolan couples five shadow boxes combining prints and artifacts with sound modules. The sound modules are housed in paper structures resembling greeting cards. As the viewer-participant lifts the card, a pre-recorded monologue is played. Mnemonic Notations, by Phillip George and collaborator Ralph Wayment, presents a large digital painting whose metamorphosis is controlled by the viewer-participant. As the participant is attracted to various regions of the work, s/he can click and produce a kaleidoscopic transformation of the painting. The 360 animations that make up the piece are organized so as to create 4,000 possible paths for the participant. Further, the maze-like structure of each animation precludes repetition and ensures a unique experience for every interaction. Finally, Jason David Ditmars' interactive installation, Mind and Body Environment, presents a kinetic sculpture in the form of a large head. In this piece, the viewerparticipant and the sculpture can attempt bidirectional communication through the use of motion and sound detection. Ditmars' unique interface approach illustrates the potential for future forms of kinesthetic interaction. For those who were unable to attend the SIGGRAPH 95 Art Gallery, Patric Prince and Michael Wright are currently working to prepare The 1995 ACM SIGGRAPH Traveling Art Show which will travel for two years. Those interested in exhibiting the show please contact Patric Prince at patric@siggraph.org. Also, the A r t Gallery Slide Set, the Visual Proceedings and the Multimedia CD ROM include images from the Art Gallery and can be obtained from ACM, as described preciously. Jacquelyn Martino IndependentArtist Email: jam67@columbia.edu Clea T. Waite's "NothingBrokebut the Heart,"installation,poem.Multi-media:EPS-scans,X-rays,computergeneratedanimationon video,and objects. 56 November1995Computer Graphics

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