The SGI Indigo 2 was the last of the Rendersaurs. Before it, came the SGI Indy and a collection of bespoke Linux based desktop computers and laptops that served the rendersaur project.
Last of the Rendersaurs pic.twitter.com/WhvfDfn0l8
— Rowan Peter (@rowan_peter) May 10, 2015
Recently, I’ve been remembering the RENDERSAUR. The RENDERSAUR was an online art project I maintained seriously from 1997 to 2000, less-seriously from 2001 to 2002 and then trailing off completely around 2003 to 2004. RENDERSAUR was hosted by my friend and oscillated from RENDERSAUR.CX to RENDERSAUR.ORG.
The Internet Archive: Wayback machine does a good job of capturing the essence of the later RENDERSAUR.ORG period of the project.
The concept for RENDERSAUR at the time was about establishing a network rendering service for 3D modelling and animation, more specifically a network rendering service for the 3D animation I was producing. The idea being my computer would then be free for me to continue to model and animate instead of waiting for computer to finish rendering. The original network rendering service concept was eschewed for a solitary preoccupation with modelling and animating art I like to call organic three dimensional visualisation.
The principal output from this preoccupation was a strange 30 second animation called INside the inSIDE (EPIDERMIS EDIT).
Some days I wish RENDERSAUR would return, mostly for the fun and joyful creativity that it brought to my life.
I created the ‘Epidermis Edit’ animation in early 2000, based on my recent discovery of Blender and my friend’s SGI and Linux computers.
The aesthetic is directly influenced by skin anatomy and physiology, medical procedures, macro-photography, electron microscopy and non-scientific curiosity.
Back then, my intent for the ‘Epidermis Edit’ animation was for it to be a realistic study in the movement and manipulation of the skin – it’s actually a surreal and strange animation that’s confusing and weird.
Sorry for that.
I used Blender 1.5 for all polygon modelling, animation, textures, lighting and rendering. I used After Effects to compile the animation, sound and credits, and then render the final output to AVI and Quicktime format.
My beloved rendersaur.org as at September 23, 2002 via the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
My beloved rendersaur.org as at May 28, 2002 via the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
My beloved rendersaur.org as at March 24, 2001 via the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
My beloved rendersaur.org as at March 3, 2001 via the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
