A NEW DIMENSION IN HOLOGRAPHY

It's like something out of a modern science-fiction movie. Behind Larry Lieberman, founder of Holographic Images, is a moving color picture of two parrots. The picture looks like a rear projection of a color film loop, but it's a hologram.

Lieberman's company is one of the first to specialize in commercial holographic photography. "We sell limited-edition art pieces and have attracted recognized artists," Lieberman said. "Now we offer smaller formats (8 × 10 and 12 × 16), but we are just coming out of research. Eventually you can have a wall with the Grand Canyon."

The company's new process uses photographic film and makes it economically feasible to create multiple copies of full-color holograms. It also frees the process from the studio. The new process can take images from life or capture three-dimensional graphics directly from a computer, in full-color hardcopy that shows a series of perspectives.

Lieberman said the challenge is to automate the process and produce larger quantities economically. Holographic Images can produce samples of computer graphics as holograms, but it's looking for a computer graphics company to participate in commercial development of the process.

Lieberman also wants to make Holographic Images' resources available to more artists. He envisions the company eventually playing a role similar to a lithographic studio or record company: Holographic Images would provide the technical expertise and hardware necessary to create multiple images of a work and market them for the artist. "It's a new medium and should be open for everyone to investigate," said Lieberman.

Holographic Images, 1301 Dade Blvd., Miami Beach, FL 33139

News & Notes by Alan R. Bechtold, editor of Info-Mat Magazine, an electronic news weekly published by BBS Press Service.