Craig Newswanger is a pioneering holographer, electro-optical engineer, and inventor whose work intersects art, science, and technology. With extensive experience in holographic imaging, cutting edge invention, and production, Craig brings a rare combination of deep technical expertise and artistic insight to every project he undertakes.

Named inventor on eleven issued patents and published through SPIE, he is recognized internationally as both a scientist and a creative practitioner in the world of light and three-dimensional image-making.

Resume (pdf)

Selected Works

Chaos Matrix

This experimental sound and light installation is composed of 256 miniature speakers and LEDs. They are wired in a matrix of paired LED/speaker activated through row and column connections to a microcontroller (MCU). Various algorithms are used to create complex sound and light patterns.

The original MCU was an 8 Megahertz Microchip 8 bit MCU. The new controller is based on the STM32 series, A 32 bit MCU that runs and 420 Megahertz, updated with a higher performance MCU to control the Chaos Matrix. This controller includes buffering to synchronize the row and column bits.

Luminous Abyss

Luminous Abyss, is a Lumigraph built for DeepDIVE, an experimental performance produced by the Alameda-based West End Arts District. This Lumigraph is an interpretation of the live performance apparatus invented by Oskar Fischinger in the late 1940’s. Fischinger was well known for painting and animated films. His classic film, “Composition in Blue”,1935, was a clear inspiration for parts of Disney’s “Fantasia.”

Muon Murmur

Muon Murmur reveals the real-time passing of cosmic rays, muons, and background radiation in an easily accessible way. The tones and the light flashes in the display indicate the presence of these unseen particles. The detector is also sensitive to the directional axis of these energetic particles. When a low level particle is detected, a single light flash occurs with a single tone. When a cosmic ray from deep space is detected, a loud chord is played and a bow-tie shaped light flashes brightly, indicating the detection axis.

Lissagraph, Cyanotype drawings, and Wondergraph

A Lissagraph, named after Jules Antoine Lissajous, is a mechanical drawing machine for drawing complex patterns with a moving pen on a rotating turntable. Craig produced two versions of the machine, 24” and 48”. Both are driven by stepper motors and controlled from a laptop. This video will give a short review of my fascination with these images and the ideas behind them. By attaching a violet laser to the Lissagraph, instead of a pen, very fine patterns can be achieved by writing on paper that has been coated with the blue, Cyanotype solution.

Craig created this hand operated drawing machine for the Hill Country Science Mill in Johnson City, TX. Thousands of children have operated it over 10 years and it continues to work without a problem. Over time, it has acquired a distinctive patina.

Craig gave a presentation on drawing tools/machines at The Gathering For Gardner conference in 2016:

David Blaine Electrified

Craig built 8 Tesla Coil bases and designed the structure for the Tesla coils to withstand unusual mounting and safety constraints. The 7 large coils surrounding Blaine had to be structurally sound in order to bombard him with million volt sparks for 72 hours.

Percussibot

A MIDI controlled drum playing robot commissioned by Arc Attack, the Tesla Coil musical group, to accompany their performances. It plays Loud and fast! The system has been shown at the Liberty Science Center and toured with Arc Attack.

Work Main Menu