'Holographic Intentions' at Visual Alchemy

Historical contexts for the 'VISUAL ALCHEMY' exhibition:

The practice of 'holographic art' - as distinct from scientific and technical imaging - began in Canada in the early 70's at the multi-media studio complex of Al Razutis named 'Visual Alchemy'.

The early holograms were pioneering efforts undertaken by 'holographers' dispersed around the world (New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Toronto, and in Europe) eager to find the 'boundaries' of this new and exciting 3D imaging process. The distinctions between 'art' and 'science' were typically vague. Razutis' interests in engaging in this work were tied to his interests in spatial imaging, motion-pictures, synthetic expressions, and a peculiar 'virtual reality' that holography expressed. His interests were also 'alchemical', involved in engaging the 're-transformation' of 'material' into 'energy' and 'form'.

'Holocosmology' was also in the air, in the writings of the neuro-physiologist Pribram, the quantum physicist Bohm, and many neo-Pythagoreans who saw a mystical connection between the 'macrocosm' and photonic 'microcosm' as suggested in holography ('The Universe as a Hologram') .

The creation of holograms at Visual Alchemy (1972-1977), a 'neo-Platonic cave' with optical printers, video and audio synthesizers, editing rooms and black-walled environs, located under the main Granville bridge into Vancouver, was accomplished by constant experimentation and home-built technologies (lasers, optical tables, processing rooms).

This studio was certainly a place where neo-Platonic 'art' experiments with 'Tesla coils', 'Kirilian photography', pyramids, and various hermetic notions were concurrent with the development of the holographic technology and 'alchemical' metaphysics necessary to bring them to a future audience which would want to know the 'hows' and 'whys' of these artistic endeavors. And it was in Vancouver, a 'intermedia' city of international expatriates and Canadian artists, the 'end of the tracks' (Terminal City, as it were), and far from the power 'centers' of art and technology (New York, Toronto, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and Europe) that these works were conducted.

In the context of art, technology and cultures of the time...

In the context of the art world of the time, this studio and works were relatively unknown, isolated, and subject only to irregular interactions with small and dedicated groups of art holography artists/studios (located in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and within several years in Toronto). In the early 70's the Ann Arbor pioneers Jerry Pethick and Lloyd Cross had moved to San Francisco and started the School of Holography, and later the Multiplex Co., which Razutis visited in the early 70's (but the visit did not impress him as to the art potentials inherent in 'multiplex' holography and he did not exploit the motion-picture derived techniques in his works). Another early pioneer Lon Moore started teaching classes (San Anselmo, Calif.) in holography and taught the technology to Catharine MacTavish, who would later conduct her work at Visual Alchemy, Michael Sowdon, David Hlynsky (Fringe Research, Toronto). Similarly, Michael Page began independent works in Toronto and in conjunction with his teaching at Ontario College of Art.

The 'first' Canadian art holographer would certainly be Jerry Pethick, whose early technical experiments were conducted in Ann Arbor and San Francisco (late 60's early 70's) in conjunction with Lloyd Cross. But Pethick's pioneering work in the U.S. would not be realized in art exhibition until later, and largely by his fascination with multi-lensed installations of seemingly 'holographic' images created in a Lippman (array) style which he would create upon his return to Canada in the mid 70's

Initial funding for this 1973-6 holographic work at Visual Alchemy (see early optical tables at left) was provided by the Canada Council for the Arts (Penni Jacques, Film Officer) in the form of two consecutive Senior Arts Grants. Without the support of Penni Jacques and the Canada Council, it is hard to imagine that the early Canadian holographic art would have gotten off the ground, because the 3D novelty (display applications) were dominant in the U.S.

Initial technical work in basic transmission and reflections holograms by Razutis quickly led to the creation of 'hybrid' art pieces featuring assemblage, mixed-media and holography. Most of this work was done in the cultural isolation of 'terminal city' (Vancouver) and far from the 'art scene' (curated aesthetics of big city galleries, museums). Most of the influences were non-art: the multi-media film-video studio was also place of experimentation (Tesla photography, 'pyramid power') and avant-garde film - video, and new holographic technologies.

The 'visually alchemical' holograms

Even with the extreme limitations of low-powered continuous-wave (He-Ne) lasers, some of the early work featured 'large format' transmissions such as 'SANDSCAPE' - a 2 by 3 foot laser transmission hologram   (link to image with object illumination on sand table).   Other works, such as   RAINFOREST,  explored multi-plate installation and interaction between virtual images and plates.   Display holography conceits as to 'size' or image 'brightness' (evidenced in other quarters, namely New York and M.I.T., San Francisco, and particularly 'entertainment' prone Los Angeles) never were a guiding principle at Visual Alchemy Studios.

White-Light Reflection Holography, featured in works such as 'NEWTONIAN GALACTIC ASSEMBLY LINE' (and below) - a 4 x 5 foot wall-mounted multi-plate serial-assemblage piece, was an important component of the development of gallery-viewable holograms.

Transmission holograms, by comparison, could only be viewed with laser or specially adapted mercury-vapor lamps and were hardly suited for typical gallery installations. The NEWTONIAN GALACTIC ASSEMBLY LINE (left) piece explored holography's unique ability to portray images in a 'inside-out' (pseudoscopic) manner. It was originally designed as a floor piece, but installation limits prevented this original design from being implemented. A number of wall pieces were created on various framing and contextualizing 'devices' to contain, compose, and comment on holography as distinct from graphic represantation. These pieces included   FLYPAPER,  POINT SOURCE,  NEWTONIAN ANAGRAPH,   PRIMA MATERIA (INVISIBLE SECTION).

My 'finished' work at Visual Alchemy was exhibited in the 1977 exhibition "VISUAL ALCHEMY" , curated by Elisa Anstis for the Burnaby Art Gallery, an exhibition which toured during the years 1977-8 across Canada under the supervision of Martin Grove. This tour also featured a large installation of the complete exhibit in Ottawa (1977). a venue that was facilitated and organized by Lorraine Monk - NFB, and opened by the Prime Minister of Canada, Pierre Trudeau.

 

Beyond the first studio phase

Being outside of the 'New York Holography' circle - the one orbiting around the Museum of Holography in New York - meant that this work would only be seen in these (and other) touring exhibitions.

NEWTONIAN GALACTIC ASSEMBLY LINE, SURROGATE (left), and other works were exhibited in Europe in the early 80's through the notable efforts of Eve Ritscher (U.K.) who was reponsible for a number of high-profile exhibitions in the U.K. (Bath, London, and elsewhere). Ms. Ritscher's U.K. and European tours were one of the significant factors in bringing holography 'out of the various studios' in the 70-80's, and she represents one of the 'unsung' heroines of holographic art in the 80's.

Additional histories including people and dates are at Visual Alchemy   DETAILED HISTORY.

The original silver halide reflection holograms seen in the pages on HYBRID HOLOGRAPHY were replaced in the 80's (where noted) by dichromate holograms produced in collaboration with Gary Cullen at Holocrafts, Delta, British Columbia.  The continuation of holographic works, once again outside of the influence of New York, or San Francisco holographic circles, is chronicled in both the Hybrids section as well as the section on 'Interferograms as art'.

HOLOGRAPHIC ART (FULL LIST)

Leaving the Cave behind

A journey to Egypt (1976) by Al Razutis and Catharine MacTavish (National Film Board production - Egypte 1977) revealed to them mysteries of antiquity (and a remarkable meeting with the Egyptologist Dorothy Eady - otherwise known as Omm Sety, "mother of Seti"), and resulted in ongoig works that corresponded to a 'different kind of alchemy', one without 'Platonic caves'.

And so, the 'visual alchemists' of the under-the-bridge studio went separately, taking the 'quantum leaps' that creative imagination requires, and the studio closed a year later.

- Al Razutis 1972- 88 - 05