Ground Zero

Rating:
Summary: Computer Compositions
Review: The first time I saw Fred Gambino's artwork was on the reprinted covers for the "Tripods Trilogy" by John Christopher. I was impressed by the level of detail in the illustrations: walls of a ruined house that seemed to include every brick; gleaming metal; meticulously rendered grass; the folds in a white tunic; an alien city glittering with light. These covers, almost photographic in appearance, were done before the illustrator had an electronic alternative to acrylics.

Nearly twenty years later, much of Fred Gambino's output is produced with the aid of the Apple Macintosh. Apparently, Gambino was one of the first SF artists to explore the potential of computer-generated illustration. It proved to be a revelation for him. Nearly all the artwork in "Ground Zero" is computer-generated. Gambino describes the process in detail, sifting through a diverse range of reference material, building with polygons, turning photographs of ordinary people into out of-this-world heroes (or villains). On a couple of occasions Gambino has even used photographs of himself. We see him as a priest on the cover of "A Case of Conscience". Gambino points out with wry humour that the photo was old, taken at a time when he had hair. The cover illustration also includes a "lizard man" in the background, which wasn't shown in the final printed version. The art director told Gambino to remove it. When using a computer, that's no problem at all.

Fred Gambino has had prestigious commissions, producing work for such well-known writers as Brian Aldiss, Frank Herbert and David Brin. Many of Gambino's covers are part of the growing library of SF Masterworks. Some of these are also included in "Ground Zero".

The computer-generated imagery is very slick, crisp and clean-looking. Other artists have expressed concern with the over-reliance on computers, but this doesn't seem to bother Fred Gambino. He hasn't abandoned traditional media altogether, but there are plenty of advantages to working electronically, such as retouching images in a matter of moments, recycling reference photo's and so on. A lot of time and labour is saved. The computer still hasn't eliminated the need for good drawing skills.

"Ground Zero" is an amazing collection of work. It would be good if another collection of Fred Gambino's earlier hand-done work was produced. It would certainly be a contrast.