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== Biography == <SPAN STYLE="font-size: larger;">American Artist - Born: July 4, 1922</SPAN> Charles A. Csuri is an artist and computer graphics pioneer and Professor. In 1949 he joined the faculty of the Department of Art The Ohio State University. In 1978 he became a Professor of Art Education and in 1986 a Professor of Computer Information Science. He is still a professor Emeritus at The Advanced Computing Center for Art and Design The Ohio State University. Charles Csuri is best known for pioneering the field of computer graphics, computer animation and digital fine art, creating the first computer art in 1964. Csuri has been recognized as the father of digital art and computer animation and a leading pioneer of computer animation. Between 1971 and 1987, while a senior professor at the Ohio State University, Charles Csuri founded the Computer Graphics Research Group, the Ohio Super Computer Graphics Project, and the Advanced Computing Center for Art and Design, dedicated to the development of digital art and computer animation. Csuri was co-founder of Cranston/Csuri Productions (CCP), one of the world's first computer animation production companies. In 2000 Charles Csuri received both the 2000 Governor's Award for the Arts for the best individual artist, and The Ohio State University Sullivant Award, that institution's highest honor, in acknowledgment of his lifetime achievements in the fields of digital art and computer animation. == Generative Art Connections == Csuri's early works, from 1963 - 1974, are a window into the artist's way of thinking about computer art. His creative process, his intentions, and the choices he made during this period continue to influences his work to the present day. The early period also establishes a foundation for many of the themes that recur in Csuri's art and shape his creative process. These include such things as object transformation, randomness, collaboration, and hierarchical levels of control. As Csuri views and explores the aesthetic object through the lens of transformation, randomness and change, we see the underpinnings of what later will become his "creative partnership" with the computer. Csuri often mentions the importance of having a "sense of the ridiculous" and "play" in his work. This may puzzle some viewers, since nothing ridiculous, cynical, or sarcastic is apparent in the final aesthetic object. Csuri's sense of the ridiculous and play are seated squarely within his personal creative process. In addition to not taking himself too seriously on a practical level, the artist also plays with the logics that serve as the underpinning for his algorithms. Through this creative exploration, he may insert numbers and combine algorithms in ways that ridiculously subvert the mathematical logics. Within this realm of shouldn't and couldn't, the artist occasionally finds surprising and intriguing results. But, trust must be garnered, since Csuri's creative process and choice of tools do not allow for real time viewing of his explorations. As Csuri continues to explore creativity in his three-dimensional space of possibilities, he recently expressed having an increased sense of freedom. This freedom, along with the mastery of his core artistic tools, has resulted in aesthetic objects that are energetic and vibrant, yet appealing to even the staunchest of colorists. == Generative Works == <SPAN STYLE="font-size: larger;">Early Art 1945–1973</SPAN> * [https://csuriproject.osu.edu/16 Transitional Works, 1962–1965] Drawings, paintings and analogue computer art created during the transition from traditional art to computer art. * [https://csuriproject.osu.edu/Historical_Sketches__1964___1970 Historical Sketches, 1964–1966] Sketches made while Csuri processed the fine art world's early, and often negative, attitude toward computer art. * [https://csuriproject.osu.edu/Plotter_Drawings__1966___1970 Plotter Drawings and Sculpture, 1966–1970] Early drawings and digitally generated sculpture made with a main frame computer, punch cards and a drum plotter. Includes still images from the fragmentation animations and randomness series. * [https://csuriproject.osu.edu/Fragmentation_Animations__1968___1970 Fragmentation Animations, 1968–1970] Early animations that show the electronic "morphing" of Csuri's hand drawing. * [https://csuriproject.osu.edu/Real_time_Art__1969___1973 Real-time Art, 1969–1973] Art objects that allow the user to participate in determining the final aesthetic object. <span style="font-size: larger;">Later Art 1989–present</span> * [https://csuriproject.osu.edu/Blended_Art__1989___1991 1987–1991] Csuri's return to making art. Includes works that combine oil paintings, drawings and computer art. * [https://csuriproject.osu.edu/1992___1995 1992–1995] Works made with Csuri's developing toolkit. Includes color space, fragmentation, texture maps, FRANK, and early AL language developments. * [https://csuriproject.osu.edu/1996___1999 1996–1999] Works created using mature versions of AL language and other customized tools. * [https://csuriproject.osu.edu/Virtual_Reality_Modeling_Language__VML__ Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML), 1998] A later exploration of Csuri's early Real-time, interactive art. * [https://csuriproject.osu.edu/Virtual_Glass__1999___2000 Virtual Glass, 1999–2000] Works that explore the properties of glass in 3-D space. * [https://csuriproject.osu.edu/Infinity_Series__2001___present Infinity Series, 2001–present] Includes Csuri's Generative Art objects and related works. All works in this category are still images. * [https://csuriproject.osu.edu/Generative_Movement_Art__2006___present Generative Movement Art, 2006–present] Abstract art objects generated by continuous random movement. All works in this category are moving objects. == Quotes and Bibliography == “I see technology as a means to create art objects and while I’m intellectually curious about commercial applications, it is art that I seek” "When I began working with the computer, I had to look closely at how it could be used within an artistic context. " "Art takes place outside of the machine." "I learned many years ago, it takes time and experience before one becomes accustomed to a medium and tools. This is necessary before there can be any kind of flow or tempo to creative expression." == External Links == [http://www.csuri.com Charles Csuri's official website] [http://csuri.wmc.ohio-state.edu/bio.cfm Charles Csuri Archive at the Ohio State University] [https://csuriproject.osu.edu/ The Charles A. Csuri Project at the Ohio State University] [http://www.siggraph.org/artdesign/profile/csuri/ Charles Csuri's profile at Siggraph] [http://arts.osu.edu/3news_events/a_news/news_summer_2006/csuri_siggraph.html Charles Csuri: Beyond Boundaries 1963—present] == Credits == This entry was written by Jose Montalvo

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