Thursday June 19, 2008
Mathematical Art - The Beauty of Numbers
A retrospective on 30 years of personal experiments using basic math and simple software to create images
by Bruce Puckett
The Early Years
-Big Iron, Plotters, Storage Tubes, and the Hidden Line Algorithm
Life Becomes Chaotic
-Personal Computers, but no memory
-Feedback Systems and Chaos
-Discrete and Continuous Maps
-Cellular Autonoma
-But Is It Art?
Modeling and Rendering the Hard Way
-The Magic Matrix
-Vectors Point the Way
-Higher Dimensions
-Riding the Turtle
Polyhedra Are Fun
-Inversions and Exversions
-Extrusions
-Twists and Turns
Do It Yourself Dynamics
-The Color Circle, and It's Uses
-Vector Fields and Force Fields
Projections
-Convergence
Bruce Puckett graduated from University of Washington with a
Chemistry degree. Computer graphics was in it's early stages, but he
did manage to create some early math art images while there.
While in school, Bruce worked for NOAA, turning fur seal data into
density maps.
He has always had two sources of inspiration: exploring and
visualizing mathematics with the help of custom code, and wilderness
landscape photography. What do these two passions have in common?
They are both about visual geometry, whether natural or constructed.
Bruce next worked for Boeing Computers Systems doing programming
support for CAD systems that were being used to design the next
generation of airplanes.
He attended his first Siggraph Conference in Seattle, in 1980, and
displayed some plotter drawings in the art show.
After Boeing, he was drawn to Silicon Valley, and joined the
Fairchild Research and Development Lab, where he supported CAD
applications, and created a prototype circuit layout application.
Bruce then changed directions, and became a teacher at Verde Valley
School, teaching programming, chemistry, and Earth Sciences.
He continued his learning, and then teaching, at Foothill College.
He has taught numerous programming classes, using various languages
over the years, but his favorite subject to teach remains the 3D
Modeling and Animation class.
Currently, he pursues his interests in digital visualization as an
Independent Academic by writing and posting small papers and code
examples on his web site, for all to use.
In recent times he has become worried about the increasing divide
between the students trying to enter the field, and the
overwhelmingly technical nature of what computer graphics has
become. He hopes to help counter the divide by showing how people
can have fun and learn by combining just a bit of custom code with
just a bit of mathematical geometry, using the great diversity of
software that is available.
Silicon Valley ACM SIGGRAPH Professional Chapter Events
are open to the public.
Times:
7:30pm, Doors open, drinks, snacks
8:00pm, Feature presentation - "Two-way Coupling of Rigid and Deformable Bodies "
Location:
De Anza 3 Auditorium, Apple R&D Campus
Cupertino, CA, 95014
Directions:
View Larger Map
Coming from San Jose:
- Take 280 North to De Anza Blvd.
- Turn left on to 'De Anza', heading south.
- Take the first left on to 'Mariani'.
- Take the first right into the Deanza 3 parking lot.
- The entrance to the auditorium is at the back of the building.
Coming from San Francisco:
- Take 280 South to De Anza Blvd.
- Turn right on to 'De Anza', heading south.
- Take the first left on to 'Mariani'.
- Take the first right into the Deanza 3 parking lot.
- The entrance to the auditorium is at the back of the building.
Membership Info and Entrance:
We are now accepting memberships for 2008. Membership applications are available at our meetings.
Membership dues are $20 per calendar year (January 1- December 31).
Membership applications which are submitted after August 1 will include
the remaining months of the current year for free.
SV SIGGRAPH holds meetings at least one Thursday every month. Meetings are not
usually held in December or in the summer.
$5 donation per meeting for non-members.
Free for Silicon Valley ACM SIGGRAPH members
Free for full-time students (with valid ID).
