John Whitney Memorial
Date: Fri, 17 Nov 1995 14:47:01 -0800
From: Ken Nolley
Subject: John Whitney memorial
This message is cross-posted from SCREEN-L.
Ken Nolley
Remembering John Whitney, Sr.
The film world lost a true pioneer with the passing of John Whitney Sr. on
September 22 at the age of 78. Widely regarded as "the father of computer
graphics," Whitney began exploring the use of computers in film production as
early as the 1950's, establishing the principles of 'motion control' and 'slit
scan,' and influencing a generation of filmmakers. The very name of his
company, Motion Graphics, presaged the world of CGI that was to come.
In the 1960's, Whitney's experimental film techniques found applications among
commercial clients, ranging from a collaboration with Saul Bass on the film
titles for Hitchcock's Vertigo, to television graphics for the Dinah
Shore and Bob Hope shows. Whitney's research grants from IBM also supported his
creation of innovative films like Permutations, constructed entirely of
computer monitors. In the 1970's at Cal Tech, Whitney completed the Matrix
series of films and was funded by the National Science Foundation to explore
artistic uses of technology. He capped this creative period with the seminal
computer film Arabesque, created with a grant from the National
Endowment for the Arts.
It was characteristic of John Whitney that he was equally at home in the world
of art and science. In the late 70's and early 80's, he conducted UCLA's first
seminars in computer graphic design, and was a true Renaissance man whose
interests tied art, music and technology together. A friend of composer John
Cage, Whitney was intrigued by the idea of "creating harmonies in motion," and
sought to 'play' the computer "as if it were a new kind of piano." In 1988, he
gathered these ideas in the book Digital Harmony - On The Complementarity of
Music and Visual Art.
Whitney was the recipient of countless honors, including a Guggenheim
Fellowship and the rarely bestowed Medal of Commendation from the Academy of
Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The range of John Whitney's work encompasses remarkable collaborations,
including early experimental films with his brother
James, a lifelong creative partnership
with his wife, painter Jacqueline Blum and notable multi-screen work with
designers Charles and Ray Eames.
In 1984, a survey of his legendary career was the subject of the videodisc
The World of John Whitney, part of Pioneer Laserdisc's "Visual
Pathfinders" series. In 1993, he captured his latest thinking in the video
documentary A Personal Search, which demonstrated his continuing spirit
of exploration into new ideas.
Whitney possessed a boundless curiosity and continued his pioneering work right
until the end. At the time of his death, he was preparing to leave for
Hokkaido University in Japan, where he had been awarded the position of
Foreign Visiting Fellow. Whitney is survived by his three sons, John Jr.,
Michael and Mark, themselves award-winning filmmakers, and he leaves a legacy
of innovation that is truly unique.
Posted by Pip Chodorov, Light Cone, Paris
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John Whitney Biography