Carlo Sequin
Mathmatics Bsed Virtual & Real Sculpture
Date 12/28/97
Affiliation Computer Scientist, University of California, Berkeley
Abstract
Carlo Sequin sees himself as a composer in the space of pure geometry. Originally inspired by the works of Bill, Calder, Gabo, and later from books on mathematics and differential geometry, Sequin explores the possibilities of digitally generated sculpture. He has developed a close collaboration with Brent Collins, a wood sculptor working in Gower, MI. With his students, he has developed a several computer programs to visualize different configurations of abstract geometrical sculptures involving knots and saddle surfaces, and to optimize the parameters that define their final shapes. Successful designs have been realized by Collins with the help of full-scale (3 feet) blueprints generated by our program. Our virtual prototyping approach saves him several weeks of labor and allows him to construct complicated shapes that he would not dare to prototype manually from physical matter. Recently small scale-models of such sculptures have also been built directly with computer-controlled Solid Free-form Fabrication processes. New emerging virtual presentation technologies raise other intriguing questions as to the need for building real physical art objects.
Updated Bio
Carlo H. Séquin, originally a physicist has been a professor of Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley since 1977. For the last 20 years he has been interested in computer graphics, geometric modeling, and computer-aided design tools
for circuit designers, architects, and for mechanical engineers.
Since the mid 1990s, he has also collaborated with some artists, and has created several designs for geometric sculptures. For this activities he has coined the terms: "Aesthetic Engineering" and "Artistic Geometry." He recently received the "IEEE Technical Achievement" award.
-- As of 1/10/07