Turning Rejection into Motivation
It was vital for Csuri that the art world recognize digital art as a new art form. He submitted a request to Artforum Magazine to publish an article on art and technology.
He received a response from the editor who stated that he could not imagine ever publishing an article on computer art. In 1968, Csuri turned this rejection into motivation by becoming the first fine artist in history to obtain a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). It was considered scandalous for an artist to receive a grant in a scientific field, and Csuri was advised to keep this information quiet.
Pioneering the field of 3D Digital Art and Animation, Csuri continues to create art that spearheads the Technology through the 70’s and 80’s.
Csuri continued to conduct ground-breaking research, working across numerous departments at the Ohio State University (OSU). In 1968, while in the engineering department, he had an epiphany when he used a computer-driven milling machine to create what might be the first 3D sculpture. Professor Leslie Miller, a mathematician and member of the Computer Graphics Research Group (CGRG), wrote the code and Csuri experimented with parameters until he found the right settings. This sculpture marked a pivotal milestone in Csuri's artistic journey, highlighting the potential for computer-generated art. Moving into the early 1970s, he continued to break new ground by pioneering advancements in 3D animation and interactive art. The exhibition “Interactive Sound & Visual Systems”, at the College of the Arts in 1970, was a challenge by Csuri to current art teaching approaches and an attempt to encourage more interdisciplinary activity at the university. He wrote, “The interaction between art and technology is having an important effect not only upon the types of art objects produced but also upon the changing attitudes about artistic content.”
Creating the Interactive “realtime” art Object
In 1971, Csuri secured another NSF grant and established the CGRG at OSU. During this time, he further explored “The real-time art object,” emphasizing that “the moment of artistic idea is the moment of materialization in an interactive experience.”
For over 15 years, Csuri focused on groundbreaking work in interactivity while continuing to create artistic animations. Beyond computer art, he expanded technology applications into scientific visualization, medical imaging, aerospace engineering, gaming, and dance with an early motion capture lab.
From Computer Graphics to Blockbusters: Cranston Csuri's Global Impact on Animation
Seeing the new art form’s commercial potential, he also co-founded the world’s first computer animation company, Cranston Csuri Productions, in 1984. His computer-generated artwork would go on view at venues from the United States to Great Britain, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Spain, France, Yugoslavia, and Israel.
His legacy is indisputable. Former students include Chris Wedge, Director of Ice Age and Robots, as well as Jeff Light and Tom Hutchinson, who helped create the eye-popping effects in films like Star Wars, Star Trek, Jurassic Park, Toy Story, and Iron Man. He supervised some forty PhD students at OSU. No less than Pixar Animation Studios’ CTO Steve May, whose tenure at the company extends over a quarter-century.
“Charles Csuri envisioned and helped create the virtual object environment of today. He also created the model environment for its cultivation, study, and innovation. Few artists workshops or science laboratories of the past can match this contribution for relevant and impact on the world of their times.”