Transmission holography — Optical Interactions
Gary Fisher · Optical Interactions
A flat glass plate reconstructs light from a still life. Move sideways and the objects reveal a different view, as though you were looking through a window.
Holography & tricky projections / 2005 · MTV Europe Music Awards, Lisbon
Gorillaz on stage — Musion Eyeliner
Gorillaz’s animated band members appear to perform on stage. Musion’s holographic presentation turns video into an apparently present performer.
TRY THIS
Watch Gorillaz’s official Feel Good Inc. performance at the MTV EMAs. Look at the animated performers against the real stage, then trace the hidden image surface, angled foil and audience sightline in the diagram.
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History, evidence & image credit
THE IMAGE IN THIS ARCHIVE
Through Mirror · original explanatory diagram
Original file & attribution · CC0 1.0
Original explanatory diagram created for Through Mirror. It illustrates the optical principle and is not a photograph of a performance or installation. Gallery previews may be resized or converted to WebP; animated previews show the first frame.
Download imageFrequently asked questions
What is Gorillaz on stage — Musion Eyeliner?
Gorillaz’s animated band members appear to perform on stage. Musion’s holographic presentation turns video into an apparently present performer.
What should I look for in Gorillaz on stage — Musion Eyeliner?
Watch Gorillaz’s official Feel Good Inc. performance at the MTV EMAs. Look at the animated performers against the real stage, then trace the hidden image surface, angled foil and audience sightline in the diagram.
What explains Gorillaz on stage — Musion Eyeliner?
Eyeliner develops the Pepper’s Ghost principle with a large transparent polymer foil set at about 45 degrees. Video is projected onto a concealed image surface on the floor or ceiling, depending on the arrangement, and reflected towards the audience by the foil. Viewers also see the stage through it. Dark backgrounds, controlled lighting and carefully prepared imagery make the reflected performers seem to share the space.
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Reflection holography — Cassadaga (Spirit Pond)
Matthew Schreiber · Cassadaga (Spirit Pond)
A lamp illuminates a flat plate and an image appears to occupy depth. The light returns towards the viewer from a recorded structure inside the holographic material.
Rainbow holography — Benton’s Sphere
Stephen A. Benton · Sphere, made at Polaroid
A hologram becomes visible in ordinary white light. Move sideways to explore depth; move vertically and its colour changes through the spectrum.