Legend I, Yoshiyuki Abe

Legend I is the first piece in Yoshiyuki Abe’s renowned series, which ran until 2001 and was featured at ISEA94. Abe’s digital creations use a variation of the ray tracing algorithm to display intricate features of hyperbolic paraboloid surfaces in Cartesian coordinates. This innovative approach to “un-normalized” shading results in complex visual compositions. Abe’s extensive knowledge of digital art and technology has cemented his reputation as a leading figure in Japan’s algorithmic and electronic art scenes. Abe’s generative process investigates the use of quadratic parameters to define lighting, surface attributes and colors that appear metallic and gel-like in Legend, evoking the contemporary work of Cyril Diagne.