**5. Reflection hologram – one and two step**

Andrew Pepper in his article *Holographic Space: A Generalised Definition*, conceptualizes the spaces available for the subject of a hologram as being box like, behind the picture plane "Box 1", in front of the holographic picture plane "Box 2"and then a third space which spans these two. As Pepper notes:

When objects in the hologram are in a position between "Box 1" and "Box 2" they straddle the flat holographic plate. Because we know that a solid object cannot pass through a solid holographic plate, we visually ignore the plate and are no longer confined by it.

The previous examples of HOE's were either "Box 1" Seth Riskin or " Box 2" Sally Weber. Similarly, one step laser transmission imagery of Margaret Benyon and Paula Dawson occupied "Box 1" (Pepper , 1989).

Andrew Pepper's one-step optical reflection hologram protruding drawings are a perfect example of the opening of the third type of subject space, one that traverses the support (holographic picture plane).

Pepper explains the process:

The drawing series was produced using a simple single beam Denisyuk system. The 'drawings' (isometric projections of a cube), were placed into the single reference beam, causing its shadow to fall onto the holographic plate, pass through it, and 'fall' onto the featureless white background situated behind the holographic plate. Once processed, the hologram was rotated around its horizontal axis so the shadow of the cube (originally visible behind the holographic plate) becomes visible as a pseudoscopic image, protruding out of the hologram and manifest in the space between the observer and the plate. The

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*Drawing A*, 20.3 x 25.4 cm, sets up a dialogue of paradox with the beholder by using a twodimensional drawing which employs the representational system of oblique projection to represent three-dimensional space in two dimensions as its subject. Though the image is lit from the front, a shadow hovers above the plate. It is the shadow of the drawing seen in the hologram. The shadow, which can be seen from almost any possible viewpoint, occludes the drawing giving the existence of the shadow a priority over the image. It is in fact the threedimensional location of the shadow, which is so confounding. The beholders sense of illusionism is challenged, partially as illusions of space are usually linked to the representation of three-dimensional objects. Here the subject is completely flat, a drawing,

The historical antecedent of this work is Jan Dibbets', *Perspective Correction* (*My Studio1, 1- Square on a Wall*) 1969 black and white photograph on photographic canvas 110 X 110cm. Dibbets draws a distorted shape on a wall of his studio which when photographed becomes a square. The drawn square appears to have separated from the wall within the

One method for producing the effect of the subject passing though the box 1 and box 2 spaces is to make a hologram (known as H2) of the pseudoscopic image reconstructed from another hologram (known as H1 or Master hologram), the two steps of the process being first the making of the H1 and then the recording of the H2 from it. When the H2 is produced, the subject position is determined by the placement of the H1. When the beholder observes the subject in the H2 they do so by looking through the image of the H1 view port. The size of the H1 support becomes the aperture size of the viewing zone of the H2. The

Mary Harman's *Figure with Metal Base* 1992 is a two step reflection hologram of a handmade miniature reclining figure which is projected through the holographic picture plane to match up spatially with a highly reflective metal cube. The cuboid viewing zone restricts the viewers point of view, encouraging them to focus on the highly reflective cube placed behind the holographic picture plane. As the hologram is monochromatic the subject seems as a figure made from light but with a convincing spatial presence though it passes through the boundary of the hologram plate. The awkwardness of the figure pose and its lack of physicality are at odds with the materiality and formality of the cube, and this creates a tension. The close space of the viewing zone almost grotto like, draws the beholder into the miniature world. As the beholder moves, the translucent figure is not occluded by the

...the aesthetic effect of holographic space is based on the loss of materialization rather then

In the *Cosmetic Series: Margot* Margaret Benyon employs the small rectilinear viewing zone through which the three- dimensional portrait can be seen in two ways. The limited viewing zone acts as an extended spatial frame, which contains the movement of the viewer, encouraging a face- to- face orientation to the subject who returns this frontal gaze. The effect of moving sideways out of the spatial viewing zone is that the image moves in the z axis from the three-dimensional space behind and in front of the holographic picture plane to its two dimensional flat surface. This is accomplished by having a gouache painting of the subject directly behind the hologram plane. The beholder can see the painting of the subject from any orientation but it is only when the beholder is directly facing the subject that the

foreshortened photographic space and rests on the picture plane of the image.

subject can appear on both sides of the holographic picture plane.

physical metal cube instead it appears to pass through it.

on the addition of a third dimension (Zec, 1990).

so in a sense there is no spatial illusion.

**5.1 H1, H2** 

drawing exists in two places simultaneously: one on the surface of the holographic plate; another slightly in front of the plate. The two' images' naturally interfere with each other visually and spatially (Pepper, 2011).

Fig. 7. Andrew Pepper, Drawing 1 (from a series of 5), 1987, "Denisyuk" one step reflection, 20.3 x 25.4cm.

drawing exists in two places simultaneously: one on the surface of the holographic plate; another slightly in front of the plate. The two' images' naturally interfere with each other

Fig. 7. Andrew Pepper, Drawing 1 (from a series of 5), 1987, "Denisyuk" one step reflection,

visually and spatially (Pepper, 2011).

20.3 x 25.4cm.

*Drawing A*, 20.3 x 25.4 cm, sets up a dialogue of paradox with the beholder by using a twodimensional drawing which employs the representational system of oblique projection to represent three-dimensional space in two dimensions as its subject. Though the image is lit from the front, a shadow hovers above the plate. It is the shadow of the drawing seen in the hologram. The shadow, which can be seen from almost any possible viewpoint, occludes the drawing giving the existence of the shadow a priority over the image. It is in fact the threedimensional location of the shadow, which is so confounding. The beholders sense of illusionism is challenged, partially as illusions of space are usually linked to the representation of three-dimensional objects. Here the subject is completely flat, a drawing, so in a sense there is no spatial illusion.

The historical antecedent of this work is Jan Dibbets', *Perspective Correction* (*My Studio1, 1- Square on a Wall*) 1969 black and white photograph on photographic canvas 110 X 110cm. Dibbets draws a distorted shape on a wall of his studio which when photographed becomes a square. The drawn square appears to have separated from the wall within the foreshortened photographic space and rests on the picture plane of the image.

### **5.1 H1, H2**

One method for producing the effect of the subject passing though the box 1 and box 2 spaces is to make a hologram (known as H2) of the pseudoscopic image reconstructed from another hologram (known as H1 or Master hologram), the two steps of the process being first the making of the H1 and then the recording of the H2 from it. When the H2 is produced, the subject position is determined by the placement of the H1. When the beholder observes the subject in the H2 they do so by looking through the image of the H1 view port. The size of the H1 support becomes the aperture size of the viewing zone of the H2. The subject can appear on both sides of the holographic picture plane.

Mary Harman's *Figure with Metal Base* 1992 is a two step reflection hologram of a handmade miniature reclining figure which is projected through the holographic picture plane to match up spatially with a highly reflective metal cube. The cuboid viewing zone restricts the viewers point of view, encouraging them to focus on the highly reflective cube placed behind the holographic picture plane. As the hologram is monochromatic the subject seems as a figure made from light but with a convincing spatial presence though it passes through the boundary of the hologram plate. The awkwardness of the figure pose and its lack of physicality are at odds with the materiality and formality of the cube, and this creates a tension. The close space of the viewing zone almost grotto like, draws the beholder into the miniature world. As the beholder moves, the translucent figure is not occluded by the physical metal cube instead it appears to pass through it.

...the aesthetic effect of holographic space is based on the loss of materialization rather then on the addition of a third dimension (Zec, 1990).

In the *Cosmetic Series: Margot* Margaret Benyon employs the small rectilinear viewing zone through which the three- dimensional portrait can be seen in two ways. The limited viewing zone acts as an extended spatial frame, which contains the movement of the viewer, encouraging a face- to- face orientation to the subject who returns this frontal gaze. The effect of moving sideways out of the spatial viewing zone is that the image moves in the z axis from the three-dimensional space behind and in front of the holographic picture plane to its two dimensional flat surface. This is accomplished by having a gouache painting of the subject directly behind the hologram plane. The beholder can see the painting of the subject from any orientation but it is only when the beholder is directly facing the subject that the

The Visual Language of Holograms 345

It is not a straightforward matter for the beholder to locate themselves within this type of viewing zone. Sometimes a prescriptive approach has been taken. As Mark Diamond

…we did a lot of placing of little stickers on the ground… like those games where they show you how to tango, and where to put your feet; it was instructions on how to view the holograms, because people were unfamiliar with how to view the space (De Freitas, 2003). These holograms are usually played back with a "white light" point source. Because of the dispersion of wavelengths over distance, when a white light source is used for replay, the image will be most focused at the hologram plane and become less focused in both + and – z.. This effect is more noticeable with large depth images. The decrease in resolution the closer the image protrudes into the + z space in front of the holographic plate is contrary to the experience of aerial perspective where the resolution of the image becomes less as it becomes more distant. Therefore although the cue of aerial perspective is not consistent with real-world experience, in practice it has little significance, because this cue is only significant over long distances and typically rainbow holograms are of a size that fits within personal

Rudi Berkhout's three colour rainbow holograms such as *Future Memories, Event Horizon* and *Toba* which include HOEs are types of landscapes in which elements undergo spatial transformations as the beholder moves from side to side. There is a use of a combination of types of H1, some of which portray abstract forms with a constant position such as fields of

In *Event Horizon* I was able to generate an image element totally by optical means. This was a breakthrough for me, for the first time I was able to draw with light. Starting with a point of laser light, I stretched multiplied and curved coil-like structures that I placed over a sphere (from a second master) in the final transfer. The third master used in this piece was

The spatial stability of randomly dispersed elements provides an alternate framework to the grid for navigating the space. Though on supports of modest size, like landscape paintings,

For the most part these artificial light realities oppose the onlooker's perspective and visual habits. One reason for this is Berkhout's particular partiality for apparently impossible spatial arrangements of geometric bodies and forms… here Berkhout speaks of the creation

The most striking feature of the rainbow hologram is that the same subject is seen in different colours according to the height in the viewing zone. The relationships of the different colours of separate subject elements are preserved, yet the colours themselves change. Colour behavior, because of its decoupling from stable relationships with surfaces of forms, probably cannot be processed by the brain in the usual way. As Zeki has shown

The complexity of these compositions has the effect of prolonged beholder engagement. …for me part of the uniqueness of the holography is that the image is simultaneously there and not there, depending on the viewer's position…being able to see the work from the sides and from behind allows the viewer to examine and consider all angles of the image

comments of early exhibitions at the Museum of Holography in New York.

bubbles and others, which warp space in unpredictable ways.

the brain processes colour information in a very specific way:

of hyperperspective spaces (Lipp, 1985).

of a forced –perspective field made of receding lines (Berkhout, 1989).

the beholder's experience is that of traversing an immense and complex space.

or action space.

(Berkhout, 1989).

**6.1 Colour** 

subject projects forward towards the beholder. A constant dialogue between the reflected and diffracted colour of the two and three-dimensional surfaces are encouraged by the use of painting, both on the surface of the subject's skin and what appears to be on the holographic picture plane.

The holographic images are frontal and central, partly to give a classical, hieratic quality…a spatial image had to be merged with a flat image on the image plane, and a full frontal view is flatter than any other orientation of the head (Benyon, 1989).

Benyon's work employs a synthesis between the monochromatic hologram and its underlay of a brightly coloured gauge painting. Full colour, either highly realistic or abstract through the use of multiple exposures with different colored lasers or by swelling the emulsion to different thicknesses between exposures is also a feature of reflection holograms.

The latter technique,'pseudo colour' was employed to great effect in *Healing of Broken Hearts* (1985) by Melissa Crenshaw. Rather than hanging on the wall the work is mounted in a display case so it can be viewed from above. This evokes in the beholder the method of looking at precious items in a display case. The play of light over the intensely coloured surfaces is reminiscent of light playing on insect wings, or other Lepidoptera, a favorite subject of this type of hologram to demonstrate verisimilitude. The colours of Melissa Crenshaw's work are highly saturated, green, blue, violet, red and black and the composition remains static as the viewer moves. The formal arrangement of the colour along diagonals which intersect with a broken circle also encourages the beholder to circle the plate and interpret the composition from multiple view points.

Crenshaw introduces us to a plastic, lineal and geometric holographic universe inspired on the first third of the twentieth century's constructivist and neo-plasticist avant gardes, a field restituted here by light. Colour acquires a structural and emotive function in an obvious way (Carreton, 1996).
