P3D Showing work at gallery

["Stuart Stiles" <sstiles@xxxxxxx>]

    In response to Wilson's posting on June 9, 1999, there are several
considerations for preparing gallery exhibits.  Three exhibitions have been
made under my supervision at Orange County Community College in Middletown,
NY.  We have included every available technique that we have for producing
stereo visual experiences for beginners, because the exhibition is intended
to educate the public with regard to stereopsis and the visual images that
cue three dimensional experiences.

    We have presented stereo projection theater by Simon Bell, William
Duggan, and Jon Golden... thanks to all three for visiting the campus to
present their work.  We have presented a lecture by Marc Grossman on the
technique of viewing stereograms.

    Students have prepared their own stereo pair photographs which they
exhibited together with essays explaining the monocular and binocular cues
that they selected to incorporate in their photos.

    Our exhibits included depth optical illusions, antique stereoscope
images, a wide range of modern viewers, computer graphic displays, video
techniques of Pulfrich and field sequential viewing  The next exhibition
will be a presentation by VRex on October 19, 1999.  Dr. T. is talking with
us about a presentation in 2000.

    From this experience, we have discovered the obvious.  The images
dictate the viewing technique.  We have been most successful in introducing
newcomers to 3D by the use of stereoscopes and polarized projection
techniques.  We have employed Bill Duggan's expertise with the twelve
projector system, Jon Golden's expertise with the Brackett projector, and
the VRex stereo projector, all of which use polarized glasses for viewing.
Because of the logistics of projection, it is essential to control the
ambient light and to arrange seating to maximize the effect. We have found
the individualized experience of stereoscopes to be a method of preference,
but it should be combined with some form of projection.

    I have attacked the problem of bringing ease of viewing, reasonable
cost, and portability to the stereoscopic viewer. Because my solution
involves a product that I have produced, my response to Wilson has been off
line.  I will have the new viewer at NSA '99, where an appropriate ad will
be in the program and I will be available for "room hopping" visits from the
curious.  Let is suffice to say that I will be willing to reply to questions
before then.

    For discussion purposes, here is an initial question that is posed for
gallery exhibits.  How can valuable, original antique cards be exhibited
without exposing them to contact damage that might be produced by handling?

        Stuart




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