DIGIPENDENCE - declare yours!

I really enjoyed Avatar although I’ve only seen it in 2D so far on a small screen at a small theatre (hey, it was only 4 bucks!). I’m looking forward to the ‘full experience’ though (3D, IMAX, but that’s almost 20 bucks). Then again, a friend has just informed me that 3D DVDs play incredibly well on his high-end awesome system (dude’s a banker, he can afford the best toys) and another friend who works at a theatre chain has promised to send me a really good set of 3D glasses, so maybe I’ll save my money and visit my banker friend. Still, this is hilarious:

Via Wikipedia:

Guernica is a painting by Pablo Picasso, depicting the bombing of Guernica, Basque Country, by German and Italian warplanes at the behest of the Spanish Nationalist forces, on April 26, 1937, during the Spanish Civil War. The Spanish Republican government commissioned Pablo Picasso to create a large mural for the Spanish display at the Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne (1937) Paris International Exposition in the 1937 World’s Fair in Paris.

Guernica shows the tragedies of war and the suffering it inflicts upon individuals, particularly innocent civilians. This work has gained a monumental status, becoming a perpetual reminder of the tragedies of war, an anti-war symbol, and an embodiment of peace. On completion Guernica was displayed around the world in a brief tour, becoming famous and widely acclaimed. This tour helped bring the Spanish Civil War to the world’s attention.

This 3D exploration was created by artist Lena Gieseke. ‘A 3D Exploration of Picasso’s Guernica‘ was part of her thesis for a Master in 3D Computer Animation which she completed in 2007 at the University of Georgia. The Guernica animation was done with Maya, Shake and Photoshop.

The idea of creating a 3D version of an influential artwork came out of doing jigsaw puzzles of famous paintings. When you assemble a jigsaw, you study a painting in great detail and you become aware of the very lines, shapes and colors that the painting is composed of and how these elements merge to create a unified expression. Through the puzzle, you explore the artwork, examining details your eye might not have caught otherwise. Your experience of the painting is intense, aroused by the action of puzzling, but expanded and strengthened by your own fantasy.

This 3D rendering of Picasso’s Guernica offers a similar experience. The actual spatial immersion into a painting is a powerful way to prompt contemplation of its many facets. My project is not only a creative piece of work on its own; it stands in a larger context. It provides the unusual opportunity to view the painting from a unique perspective, revealing aspects that would normally stay hidden from the casual viewer. When we discern the original painting in this three-dimensional reproduction, we recognize which features most significantly constitute the painting. Consequently this three-dimensional exploration of Picasso’s Guernica is an innovative technique for comprehending and appreciating the original masterpiece.

This short is what you get when you mix my love for iClone and the University of Kentucky Basketball, 40 seconds of high-octane footage starring super-star freshman and future #1 NBA Draft pick John Wall.