Sunstone

Ed Emshwiller / United States / 1979 / Czech Premiere / 3 min.

synopsis

The stone face emerges with difficulty from the two-dimensional surface to eventually overcome not only two-dimensionality, but to overturn the entire system of representation. Similarly deceptive are the initial grey tones of this computer-generated animation; these later transform into colours as if from another world. The video was created at the New York Institute of Technology with the assistance of Alva Ray Smith, later co-founder of Pixar.

biography

Ed Emshwiller (1925–1990) was an American illustrator and experimental filmmaker. From the 1960s onwards, he explored the possibilities of creation using video synthesizers and computer systems. He worked on illustrating science fiction literature – in addition to several hundred covers of specialized magazines, he also illustrated books by Philip K. Dick and Samuel R. Delany. In 2020, Ji.hlava IDFF screened his film Carol (1970).