The shapes of Stewart McSherry's "Ha Ha 7a", designed by computer graphics, gleam transparent like polished, colored glass.

My background includes work in painting, computer science printmaking and glass blowing. I have had an active interest in computer graphics for over ten years and my current work reflects earlier work in painting and glassblowing especially.

I am primarily interested in the computers ability to calculate the equations for reflectance and refraction light based on varying the parameters for the materials you wish to simulate, giving quite realistic representations of glass, diamond, etc. I find it quite unique in this respect, being able to accurately represent three dimensional shapes that are inherently abstract in structure.

This photorealistic quality gives my computer work interesting ground with which I am able to explore traditional abstractionist themes composition in unique ways. I don't see computer graphics as a replacement for my interests in painting, glass, etc. but I do consider it the most challenging and fertile ground for exploration. It is truly a new medium which has been relatively unexplored by artists, and has yet to be embraced by the art world in general. (Steward McSherry)

Technical Background

HW: Silicon Graphics 4D / 210
SW: Alias 3.0 Raytracer

Stewart McSherry (USA) is a digital abstract expressionist. He produces work on the IBM based Cubicomp Picture Maker and on the ALIAS12 at the Super Computer Center in San Diego, and has been helping organize the current computer graphic labs in the UCLA Design Department and at the Art Center College of Design. He served as consultant, lab manager and instructor at UCLA '86 - '87 and manager of the graphics lab at ACCD '87 - '88. Currently McSherry runs his own company called Triad Computer Graphics.