Featured image above from Garett Weaver’s Final Exercise “Drop Watcher” ARCH  423/523 Spring  2019, University of Oregon

“I shall not discuss theorems in the manner of the profound Euclid, but rather some flowers picked from his most abundant gardens, and other authors”  Sebastiano Serlio On Architecture, 1545, translation by Hart & Hicks, Yale University Press, 1996

This web site is currently under development for spring 2023. More course information is forthcoming.

ARCH 423/523 Dreaming In Animation Space is an interdisciplinary hands-on class that explores moviemaking through exercises in 3D computer animation and geometrical modeling. Storytelling may range in subject area according to the background and interests of the student whether narrative character animation or visualization in another area.  Correspondingly, the animation software, Maya, is widely used in the arts, design, environmental and physics-based simulation, biomedical engineering, 3D character animation, scientific visualization, and cinematic production. We also explore the numerical basis and invisible geometrical order of shapes found in architecture and nature, similar to picking “Flowers” from Euclid’s Garden cited by Serlio in 1545 and include more recent examples of his “other sources”. For example D’Arcy Thompson’s 1917 studies of growth and form break down seemingly complex shapes and phenomenon into much simpler more readily understandable and reproducible animated build-up sequences. The shape of a Nautilus Spiral is based upon an accelerating outward spiral. The pattern of seeds on a daisy head or sunflower plan are based upon a decelerating outward spiral. The forms of waves hitting the beach can be explore through fluid dynamic simulation methods.

The work of the seminar is  informed by screenings of student exercises and other movies. We emphasize storytelling with a beginning, middle and end, whether literally or more abstractly regardless of subject.  Discussion of perceptual phenomenon will provide a conceptual framework for the development and critique of this work.

Earl Mark, PhD, Visiting Associate Professor .  emark@uoregon.edu