Absent Friends

 (Feb 14 2009)

Strange to find that my Featured Day is also St. Valentine's. Since my father died on February 14th 2001 it has had a double meaning for me and I thought it appropriate to remember some departed holography friends who, if they were still here, would doubtless be joining us on this network.

Steve Benton, inventor of Rainbow holography and tireless champion of holography in both science and art worlds.

A brilliant mind and a great communicator but also a fun guy.
Here's Steve with some pals at the Holographics International conference in 1992

from left to right: Roberta Booth, SB, Sunny Bains, Eve Ritscher, Paula Dawson

There are some Benton holograms at www.jrholocollection.com/collection/benton.html

Dan Schweitzer, who made some beautiful poetic and technically masterful rainbow holograms at New York Holographic Studios where, along with Sam Moree, he passed on his craft to many aspiring holographers.

Here's Dan at the Holo Center NYC, where he continued to work and teach alongside Ana Maria Nicholson.

Some of Dan's holograms can be seen at www.jrholocollection.com/collection/schweitzer.html

Harriet Casdin-Silver who, along with Margaret Benyon and Anait, made up a triumvirate of pioneering women holographers. Harriet took an unflinching look at the human body in her figurative work and conjured visual conundrums from everyday objects. She was also one of the first to make her art wherever good facilities were to be found and worked with some of the best technicians on the planet.

Here in her Boston studio on August 20th 2001 with one of the larger than life stereogram portraits she made with John Perry.

You can see and read more about Harriet at www.jrholocollection.com/collection/casdin.html

Rudie Berkhout, another New York based holographer of great distinction. Initially famous for his gorgeous multiple exposure geometric white light transmission works like 12mW Boogie, Rudie worked in reflection holography at the end of his career, creating equally beautiful pieces.

Photographed here, on 15th August 2001, with a study for Odyssey 2001, a collaboration with the painter Ward Bos.

There are a few Rudie images here www.jrholocollection.com/collection/berkhout.html
and this is the official Rudie Berkhout website  www.rudieberkhoutcollection.com