The computer animation "Dirty Power" by Robert Lurye is a very personal reaction to living in the age of the fatal disease AIDS. Unanimated objects are used to tell a love story.

"Dirty Power" is a work of personal expression which is in reaction to living in the age of the fatal disease AIDS. The work has obvious and ambiguous meanings which respond to e-vents in my private and public life caused by our sexual-social crisis. This piece was also inspired by my exploration of the often times seductively sexy nature of three-dimensional computer graphics media and its almost "magical" abilities. Previously I have worked with pencil drawing, photography and film but having been seduced by three-dimensional computer graphics, I have decided to use it as my medium of choice for this project. My personal approach to using the Computer as a fine arts medium is the same as if I were using traditional media; the creative spirit comes from the same place no matter what I am creating or how am creating it. However, I am acutely aware of the unique capabilities of computers and try to make e best use of them as multi-media interactive environments / tools.

Technical Background

The motion picture "Dirty Power" was created using an Evans & Sutherland PS300and Twixt animation software written by Julian Gomez. All geometric models were generated using in-house software developed at O.S.U. The frames were rendered ona Convex C1 mini super-computer, and a network of SUN Microsystems computers using TROUT rendering software, written by Scott Dyer of the Ohio Super-computer Graphics Project. The frames were copied on to an Abekas A60 and then recorded directly on to 1 inch videotape. A Betacam SP master edit was done using a Sony BVE 900 editor by Kipp Aldrich. The music was composed by Ferd Maisel with voice effects by Daveand Linda Haumann. The sound was mixed on a Radio Shack four channel mic mixer by myself. Further software support was provided by John Fujii, Susan Amkraut, John Donkin and Jeff Light.