Spherical Harmonics

Exhibition at the Photographers Gallery, London by Alan Warburton explores the idea of capturing ‘reality’ in images within the realms of modern 3D graphics

For Spherical Harmonics Warburton draws on his background in fine art and commercial visual effects to produce a short experimental animation. The title of the piece refers to mathematical equations applied in CGI software which compute the behaviour and appearance of light within each scene. This is an example of how modern imaging software attempts to mimic the massive complexity of photographic ‘reality’.

In Spherical Harmonics Warburton presents a sequence of surreal episodes activated by and centred around various bodies of light. Inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, the film hints at a fragmented but elusive narrative of fetishisation, systems, games, control and memory. The protagonist, Maya, a stock CG figure purchased online, inhabits a generic hotel room, responding to texture, colour and movements which are controlled and transformed by the appearance of each new source of light.

More about the exhibition can be found at the Photographers Gallery’s website here [exhibition runs until the 9th of April]

[Alan’s work previously on PK - Z: a monochromatic animation exploring a landscape rendered as a depth map]
[GIFs above were created by the artist]