Hummingbird II, 1967

With its direct connection to Hummingbird (1967), Charles Csuri’s first computer-animated film, Hummingbird II marks an important step in the development of computer animation. This print is derived from the same study used to generate the film. It translates programmed motion into a single still image. The project led directly to the animation itself, which was composed of more than 30,000 computer-generated images drawn onto film with a microfilm plotter. The work demonstrates how Csuri constructed motion frame by frame while also producing stand-alone artworks from the same computational process.

As in many of his early experiments, Csuri brings figuration into computer graphics while probing how mathematical systems might suggest depth in an otherwise flat medium. In Hummingbird II, depth emerges from the attempt to model flapping wings through algorithmic control. Subtle variations in angle and spacing introduce a sense of vitality, showing Csuri’s interest in randomness not as chaos, but as a source of energy and expression within a structured system.

Produced in collaboration with computer programmer James Shaffer at Ohio State University, Hummingbird II exists as acrylic print on white Plexiglas. The luminous surface heightens contrast and gives the impression of light emanating from within the image, reinforcing the sensation of suspended motion.