[Tech Nouveau]
Tech Nouveau was my second digital art exhibition. It's was a joint venture with pastel artist Carol Banner and opened at her Katz Gallery on March 14 2009. It ended on June 21, but since it's digital you can still order a canvas print.
My first digital art exhibition in 2008 was called The Edge of Time. You can see it here.
Tech Nouveau is based in part on the Art Nouveau styles made famous by Czech artist Alphonse Mucha and the later work of American Illustrator Maxfield Parrish. The original Art Nouveau movement flourished betwen about 1890 and the start of World War 1. It underwent a brief revival during the flower power psychedelic era of the late 1960s.
I've always liked Art Nouveau, even since I read Edith Howell's lavishly Art Nouveau illustrated children's books as a child. I became acquainted with the work of Maxfield Parrish when I lived in America. This exhibition mixes both of their styles and adds mathematically created digital fractal art and samples from Carol's beautiful and elegant original pastel artwork to create a new high tech digital version of Art Nouveau for the 21st Century. I got the idea for this exhibition when I did promo graphics for Carol's solo exhibition in 2005 , and was struck by how similar our tastes were.
Thanks to my models, Katie Grantham, Sophie Balasoglou and Jill Greathead. Thanks also to Dianne Manson for the period jewellery, Anna Balasoglou for her wardrobe assistance and Carol Banner for her faith in my work.
Click on the images below to see larger versions and a few before and afters of the 12 pictures in the exhibition. The originals are all high resolution 800mm x 1200mm prints on canvas. Click here to see the invite and Review.
1 Wind In Leaves
A reworking of Alphonse Mucha's "Dance." The background is a montage of images from Masterton's Queen Elizabeth Park, photographed in the autumn of 2007. The dress and swirling leaves were created in Maya 3D. The headdress jewellery and inset panels are a montage of six pictures by Carol Banner, with superimposed tree branches from QE Park. The final image was composed using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. The pictures of QE Park and Carol's work were shot with a Canon EOS450D or an Olympus C750. The colour balance is closer to Mucha's original than most of the reproductions on the internet, which are all too red.
The picture title is lifted from the lyrics of the Blue Six song "Music and Wine." I listened to Roger Perry's laid back re-mix of this a lot while I was making it, as it captures the atmosphere perfectly.
A reworking of Alphonse Mucha's "Dance." The background is a montage of images from Masterton's Queen Elizabeth Park, photographed in the autumn of 2007. The dress and swirling leaves were created in Maya 3D. The headdress jewellery and inset panels are a montage of six pictures by Carol Banner, with superimposed tree branches from QE Park. The final image was composed using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. The pictures of QE Park and Carol's work were shot with a Canon EOS450D or an Olympus C750. The colour balance is closer to Mucha's original than most of the reproductions on the internet, which are all too red.The picture title is lifted from the lyrics of the Blue Six song "Music and Wine." I listened to Roger Perry's laid back re-mix of this a lot while I was making it, as it captures the atmosphere perfectly.
2 Sophie's Daybreak
A `G' rated update of Maxfield Parrish's 1922 classic `Daybreak'. (We live in different times.) Daybreak is the most popular art print of the 20th century, based on the number of prints made: one for every four American homes. You can never see the original version in any exhibition though as it has been in private hands continuously ever since it was painted. In 2006 Daybreak was purchased by a private collector at a Christie's auction for US $7.6 million.
The print that you see here is therefore the highest resolution full colour version you'll ever see on canvas. Parrish used 3 models, including his daughter: I used only one, the Sophie of the title. The scenery in the background is Ruapehu, Lake Taupo, Martinborough and Cape Palliser, shot on a Canon EOS450D. The marble deck and pillars were created in Maya 3D and all the jasmine-like flowers are fractally generated using Apophysis and Chaoscope.
A `G' rated update of Maxfield Parrish's 1922 classic `Daybreak'. (We live in different times.) Daybreak is the most popular art print of the 20th century, based on the number of prints made: one for every four American homes. You can never see the original version in any exhibition though as it has been in private hands continuously ever since it was painted. In 2006 Daybreak was purchased by a private collector at a Christie's auction for US $7.6 million. The print that you see here is therefore the highest resolution full colour version you'll ever see on canvas. Parrish used 3 models, including his daughter: I used only one, the Sophie of the title. The scenery in the background is Ruapehu, Lake Taupo, Martinborough and Cape Palliser, shot on a Canon EOS450D. The marble deck and pillars were created in Maya 3D and all the jasmine-like flowers are fractally generated using Apophysis and Chaoscope.
3 The Redhead
Mucha's 1897 original was called "The Blonde," but she looked more like a Redhead to me. The background imagery is a composite of four works by Carol Banner. The make-up was entirely synrthesized in Photoshop. The jewellery is based on real photographs I took of period jewellery , a Carol Banner moth design, and imagery generated in Photoshop, Illustrator and Maya 3D.
Mucha's 1897 original was called "The Blonde," but she looked more like a Redhead to me. The background imagery is a composite of four works by Carol Banner. The make-up was entirely synrthesized in Photoshop. The jewellery is based on real photographs I took of period jewellery , a Carol Banner moth design, and imagery generated in Photoshop, Illustrator and Maya 3D.
4 La Femme Sans Coquelicots
This image is very loosely based on Mucha's "La Femme Aux Coquelicots" , (The Lady with the Poppies") but suitably re-titled to reflect the fact that she hasn't got any poppies in my version. The background imagery, chair upholstery and headdress are a composite of ten different pastel works by Carol Banner. Photography: Canon EOS450D. Furniture: Maya 3D. The lower background fractal patterns were generated using Apophysis.
This image is very loosely based on Mucha's "La Femme Aux Coquelicots" , (The Lady with the Poppies") but suitably re-titled to reflect the fact that she hasn't got any poppies in my version. The background imagery, chair upholstery and headdress are a composite of ten different pastel works by Carol Banner. Photography: Canon EOS450D. Furniture: Maya 3D. The lower background fractal patterns were generated using Apophysis.
5 Orientale
This image isn't actually based on any existing work, although it contains Mucha motifs and carpet patterns and friezes and a headdress composed from 7 of Carol's pastels. The picture is instead a nod to the 19th Century Orientalism art movement, which was a romanticised depiction of Eastern culture and styles produced by European artists who had never actually been anywhere near the places they painted, instead relying entirely on anecdotes and hearsay.
Below the balcony is a colourised and sampled photo of Istanbul in the 1920s that I found on the Internet. The wind chimes came from a local shop and the cat, Fluffy, belongs to my mum. The interior architecture, Art Nouveau plant holders, plants and awning were all created in Maya. In the shameless spirit of true Orientalism none of it is authentic in the slightest, but I like the overall feel of it anyway. The music that goes naturally with this is the haunting 1993 track "Space is their (Palestine)" by Hawkwind, a band who in the true spirit of Orientalism have never been to either place.
This image isn't actually based on any existing work, although it contains Mucha motifs and carpet patterns and friezes and a headdress composed from 7 of Carol's pastels. The picture is instead a nod to the 19th Century Orientalism art movement, which was a romanticised depiction of Eastern culture and styles produced by European artists who had never actually been anywhere near the places they painted, instead relying entirely on anecdotes and hearsay. Below the balcony is a colourised and sampled photo of Istanbul in the 1920s that I found on the Internet. The wind chimes came from a local shop and the cat, Fluffy, belongs to my mum. The interior architecture, Art Nouveau plant holders, plants and awning were all created in Maya. In the shameless spirit of true Orientalism none of it is authentic in the slightest, but I like the overall feel of it anyway. The music that goes naturally with this is the haunting 1993 track "Space is their (Palestine)" by Hawkwind, a band who in the true spirit of Orientalism have never been to either place.
6 Time Out From The World
Titled after the ethereal dreampop classic of the same name by Goldfrapp. I think this fits it rather well....
The source image is Maxfield Parrish's picture "Ecstasy." which was commissioned for the 1930 General Electric Mazda Lamp Calendar. I lways wondered where the girl in the picture was, so I loosened Parrish's framing to find out. The rocks are from Cape Palliser, the mountain in the distance is a sunset shot of Mt Ruapehu. The lake is Taupo and the clouds are from Auckland Harbour. Most of the dress was created in Maya 3D.
Titled after the ethereal dreampop classic of the same name by Goldfrapp. I think this fits it rather well....The source image is Maxfield Parrish's picture "Ecstasy." which was commissioned for the 1930 General Electric Mazda Lamp Calendar. I lways wondered where the girl in the picture was, so I loosened Parrish's framing to find out. The rocks are from Cape Palliser, the mountain in the distance is a sunset shot of Mt Ruapehu. The lake is Taupo and the clouds are from Auckland Harbour. Most of the dress was created in Maya 3D.
7 Princess Moonflower
Based on Mucha's "Princess Hyacinth." The background textures, headdress and fabric hems are sampled from 11 different works by Carol. The central fractal texture was created in Chaoscope. The weird thing in the Princesses' hand is straight out of Mucha's fertile imagination, and the version here is closer to the original composition and framing than most of the other exhibition pics.
Based on Mucha's "Princess Hyacinth." The background textures, headdress and fabric hems are sampled from 11 different works by Carol. The central fractal texture was created in Chaoscope. The weird thing in the Princesses' hand is straight out of Mucha's fertile imagination, and the version here is closer to the original composition and framing than most of the other exhibition pics.
8 Flame Portrait
Another image not actually based on any particular Mucha image, but borrowing from his general style. All of the textures in this image are either created from Carol's pastels or Apophysis fractals, the mathematical basis of which are known as "flames". The night view shot in the lower third is actually a digitally altered daylight Canon EOS450D shot of the Tararuas, as seen from my friend Jill's back yard.
Another image not actually based on any particular Mucha image, but borrowing from his general style. All of the textures in this image are either created from Carol's pastels or Apophysis fractals, the mathematical basis of which are known as "flames". The night view shot in the lower third is actually a digitally altered daylight Canon EOS450D shot of the Tararuas, as seen from my friend Jill's back yard.
9 Cinderella
Based on Maxfield Parrish's picture of the same name. As in the original, it is sunset and Cinderella has just arrived at the Ball, but being a liberated modern woman, my Cinders has turned up in bare feet.
The stairs were created in Maya 3D, the flowers grow in my mother's garden and the background textures are all fractals.
Based on Maxfield Parrish's picture of the same name. As in the original, it is sunset and Cinderella has just arrived at the Ball, but being a liberated modern woman, my Cinders has turned up in bare feet.The stairs were created in Maya 3D, the flowers grow in my mother's garden and the background textures are all fractals.
10 Zodiac
This image is a reasonably faithful version of Mucha's original "Zodiac," although the background textures are derived from 7 of Carol's works as well as Chaoscope fractals. I've also updated Mucha's rather cryptic (to modern eyes) zodiac symbols by replacing them with modern generic clipart versions.. The nearest match I could find for the strange unicorn horn appendage on the original picture
was a fancy cut glass door handle.
This image is a reasonably faithful version of Mucha's original "Zodiac," although the background textures are derived from 7 of Carol's works as well as Chaoscope fractals. I've also updated Mucha's rather cryptic (to modern eyes) zodiac symbols by replacing them with modern generic clipart versions.. The nearest match I could find for the strange unicorn horn appendage on the original picture
was a fancy cut glass door handle.
Exhibition Poster
Here's the exhibition poster between two of Carol's Mucha mirrors in the Katz Gallery foyer.
Here's the exhibition poster between two of Carol's Mucha mirrors in the Katz Gallery foyer.