David Em
David Em presents Escher, 1979, The Green Mask, 1991 and Kurie, 2024 in the Historical Artists Room
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David Em’s Escher is a pioneering computer-generated artwork created in the late 1970s during his time as Artist-in-Residence at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. The piece is named after M. C. Escher, the Dutch artist known for his mathematically inspired optical illusions and impossible structures.
While at JPL, Em experimented with pixels and virtual worlds. Escher broke new ground in digital art by utilizing early 3D modeling and rendering technologies, pushing the technical limits of what could be achieved with computer graphics at the time.
The artwork features intricate, impossible geometries and recursive patterns, evoking Escher’s prints’ surreal and mind-bending qualities. What makes Escher remarkable is Em’s use of cutting-edge computing systems, marking a shift from traditional art forms to a new medium — digital art. Em’s work at JPL allowed him to explore the artistic potential of computers, blending precise algorithms with creative freedom inspired by the Voyager I and II spacecrafts’ flybys of Jupiter and Saturn.
Escher is widely regarded as a foundational piece in the history of digital art and computer graphics, influencing both the digital arts and the emerging CGI industry. Em’s innovative use of technology in Escher exemplifies his role as a pioneer in integrating art with high-tech tools, leading the way for future generations of digital artists.
大卫-艾姆的埃舍尔是一件开创性的计算机生成艺术品，创作于 20 世纪 70 年代末，当时他是美国国家航空航天局（NASA）位于加利福尼亚州帕萨迪纳的喷气推进实验室（JPL）的驻场艺术家。该作品以 M. C. 埃舍尔的名字命名，这位荷兰艺术家以其受数学启发的光学幻觉和不可能的结构而闻名。
在 JPL 工作期间，埃姆尝试了像素和虚拟世界。埃舍尔利用早期的三维建模和渲染技术，突破了当时计算机图形技术的极限，为数字艺术开辟了新天地。
这件艺术品的特点是错综复杂、不可能的几何图形和递归图案，让人联想到埃舍尔版画的超现实和令人费解的特质。埃舍尔的非凡之处在于埃姆对尖端计算系统的使用，这标志着他从传统艺术形式向新媒体--数字艺术--的转变。埃姆在 JPL 的工作使他得以探索计算机的艺术潜力，将精确的算法与受旅行者 I 号和 II 号宇宙飞船飞越木星和土星启发而产生的创作自由融为一体。
埃舍尔》被广泛认为是数字艺术和计算机图形学历史上的奠基之作，对数字艺术和新兴的 CGI 产业都产生了影响。艾姆在《埃舍尔》中对技术的创新运用，充分体现了他作为艺术与高科技工具相结合的先驱者的作用，引领了后代数字艺术家的发展方向。
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David Em’s The Green Mask was created in 1991 while he was a guest and consultant at Apple’s Advanced Technology Group (ATG) and their Evangelism Group. His tenure at Apple gave him his first exposure to advanced personal computer imaging software. This piece is named after and inspired by one of the greatest rock artworks in Southern Utah.
The Green Mask evokes a dynamic interplay of textures and digital brushstrokes. The work is less about what is seen and more about what remains unseen—the invisible layers of identity and technology that shape how we perceive and construct reality. It resists any straightforward interpretation, leading viewers into a world of abstraction that suggests a veil between reality and the virtual world.
Em’s work at Apple placed him at the forefront of experimentation with personal computing. The Green Mask demonstrates Em’s ability to push the boundaries of what could be achieved with digital art, combining traditional artistic sensibilities with the limitless possibilities offered by the computer. The image showcases Em’s mastery of early digital rendering techniques and his ability to blend artistic vision with technology.
戴维-艾姆的《绿色面具》创作于 1991 年，当时他是苹果公司先进技术集团（ATG）及其布道小组的嘉宾和顾问。在苹果公司工作期间，他第一次接触到先进的个人电脑成像软件。这件作品以犹他州南部最伟大的岩石艺术作品命名，其灵感也来自于此。
《绿色面具》唤起了纹理和数字笔触的动态互动。这件作品与其说是在描绘看得见的东西，不如说是在描绘看不见的东西--身份和技术的无形层面塑造了我们感知和构建现实的方式。它拒绝任何直截了当的解释，引领观众进入一个抽象的世界，暗示着现实与虚拟世界之间的面纱。
Em 在苹果公司的工作使他站在了个人电脑实验的最前沿。绿色面具》展示了 Em 突破数字艺术极限的能力，他将传统的艺术感觉与计算机提供的无限可能性相结合。该图像展示了 Em 对早期数字渲染技术的掌握，以及他将艺术视野与技术相结合的能力。
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David Em’s Kurie, created in 2024, marks a significant evolution in his artistic journey as he delves into the realm of AI-generated art. In 1977, Em predicted that generative AI would fundamentally transform the future of art. Today, he incorporates AI into his core creative practice, manifesting the infinite potential of the medium. The piece is named after Madame Marie Curie, the first female recipient of the Nobel Prize in physics.
Known for his pioneering work in digital art and computer graphics since the 1970s, Em continues to push boundaries. His use of AI challenges traditional notions of the artist’s hand, prompting viewers to consider how much of the image is a product of human intent and how much emerges from the machine’s algorithmic imagination.
Kurie is a piece that embraces artificial intelligence not just as a tool, but as a full collaborator. The artwork is striking in its complexity, blending organic and electronic elements to evoke Em’s long-standing fascination with the intersection of nature and technology. The textures and colors are intricate as if the AI has synthesized elements of Em’s previous work and expanded them into new, uncharted territory.
