P3D John Baird's Obituary

[Mike Sanders <mikesanders@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At the services today, John Baird's son, David, asked me to send his
father's obituary to everyone on the photo-3d list.    He knew his
father made many friends in the 3D world.  Here is what ran 11/10/99 in
The Kansas City Star:

JOHN D. BAIRD John D. Baird, 57, Kansas City, MO, died November 7, 1999,

at Truman Medical Center, Kansas City, MO.  Funeral services will be 1
p.m. Thursday, November11, at D.W. Newcomer's Sons Johnson County
Chapel, 11200
Metcalf, Overland Park, KS, 66210; burial in Oak Lawn Memorial Gardens,
Olathe, KS. Visitation will be from 12-1 p.m. Thursday, prior to the
service. In lieu of flowers, the family suggest contributions to the
John D. Baird Memorial Fund, c/o the funeral chapel.  John was born
February 3, 1942, in Kansas City, MO, the son of Charles E.
and Ruth Baird. He was owner and operatorof Creative Electronics, and
his hobby was creative 3-D photography. He was chairman of  Metropolitan

Photography Association, the Missouri state representative for the Baird

Clan, was a member of the National Stereographic Association,
volunteered for the Nelson Art Gallery and the Kansas
City Art & History Museum and was a faithful member of the Unity Temple
on the Plaza. John also served in the United States Army as a green
beret. Survivors include his wife, Karen Barid, Kansas City, MO; a son,
David A. Baird, Kansas City, MO; his mother, Ruth Baird, Olathe, KS; a
brother, Chuck Baird, Phoenix, AZ; three sisters, Ruth Ann Hutchinson,
Silver Springs, MD, Susan Gordon, Olathe, KS, Elizabeth Baird, Austin,
TX; and one granddaughter who is on the way. John will be missed greatly

by those whose lives he had touched.
              (Arrangements: D.W. Newcomer's Sons Johnson County Chapel)

Several of John's printed pairs were on display in the lobby.  I'd seen
them before in his studio, but each viewing is stunning and memorable.
True art.  There
were even a couple of daylight viewers with incredible 3D shots of the
Henry Moore sculpture garden on the Nelson Art Gallery grounds, a
project he was working on when he died.

I want to share with you some quotes from a handout at the services.

"A few words about how I feel about my work as 'art'.  I have been
painting with light on film for over 20 years.  It was quite some time
before I was producing work that I felt was good enough to show.  One of

the people I approached was Michael Stephens, coordinator of the Art
Research Center in Kansas City.  He was quite encouraging and
appreciated what I was doing and also pointed out to me that this medium

had been predicted by pioneer modern photographer/artist Laszlo
Moholy-Nagy in 1926.  I quote:
    'Most of the visual work of the future lies with the "light
painter."  He will have available to him the scientific knowledge of the

physicist and the technological skill of the engineer which will couple
with his own imagination, creative intuition and emotional intensity.
It is difficult to go into details yet, but in the coming experiemnts,
research in the physiology of the eye and in the physical properties of
light will play an important part.'"

--John Baird

"For friend, comrade, colleague and collaborator of 22 years with his
creative contributions of film and sound--ideas/energy which enriched us

all--we will miss your art--your great heart and your eye's bright
light."

--Michael Stephens