It is not possible to appreciate the sculptural and luminous quality of Rob's work in two dimensions, such as on this website page or in an exhibition catalogue. It is highly recommended that you view the work in person.
EARLY WORKS
Mike Oldfield - Hibernaculum, 1994
In 1994, I was commissioned to design and produce the world’s first digitally generated, full‑colour, animated CD album cover hologram — a format I named the Moviegram. The project was for the British multi‑instrumentalist and composer Mike Oldfield, best known for his landmark 1973 album Tubular Bells, which launched Virgin Records.
The commission came from Altered Images, the company behind the celebrated Magic Eye random‑dot stereograms that captivated audiences worldwide.
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To realise the hologram, I employed my proprietary DI‑HO (Digital Input – Holographic Output) system, which I had conceived and built between 1989 and 1991. This pioneering technology was the world’s first computer‑automated 3D digital holographic stereogram recording system, enabling the seamless translation of digital imagery into holographic form.
Queen - The Ultimate Collection, 1995
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​In 1995, I was commissioned to create a digitally produced, full colour, animated hologram, which I christened a 'Moviegrams', for the band Queen. The hologram was commissioned by IC Holographic, a London based hologram design and marketing agency.
The hologram adorned Queen – The Ultimate Collection, a 26" square, wall mountable cabinet which included 20 CD's, featuring all 18 studio and live albums released up to that point. The set was released on 13 November 1995 and was limited to just 15,000 sets worldwide. The front door of the set has Royal blue felt, including placeholders for two CD's, the Queen crest, moving gold coloured Freddie Mercury hologram and the limited edition number. The inside features placeholders for the remaining 18 CDs on maroon felt, a booklet, and a Queen crest buckle to hold it in place.
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I utilised my unique DI-HO (Digital Input – Holographic Output) system, that I had designed and built between 1989 – 1991, to create the hologram. The DI-HO system was the world’s first computer-automated 3D digital holographic stereogram recording system.
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My DI-HO system enabled me to create the hologram directly from a suitable digital video sequence. I procured an analogue video tape of Queen’s legendary Queen ‘Live at Wembley Stadium’ concert on July 12, 1986, Queen’s final tour with Freddie Mercury. I carefully stepped through the video to find an exciting, dynamic two-second, fifty frame sequence from which to make the hologram and came upon a sequence of Freddie Mercury performing in his iconic yellow buckled jacket with white trousers, now one of the most recognized stage costumes in rock history. The clip comes from the end of the first song, One Vision, which Queen performed at their second concert, approximately 5 minutes into the film. See: Queen Live at Wembley Stadium 1986 Full Concert
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Once I had chosen the sequence, I digitised it using a Matrix video digitiser, one of the first generation of video digitisers for microcomputers, on a Commodore Amiga 4000 computer. I ultimately used 46 frames with the first and end frames repeated to aid the horizontal animation effect. The result was this VGA 640 x 512-pixel resolution sequence.
Please note, for this animation, each frame has been repeated twice to slow down the animation.
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After much post processing to clean up, sharpen, and saturate each frame of the sequence, needed for hologram mastering, I then created a silver-halide master transmission hologram, followed by a photoresist ‘rainbow’ image-planed transfer hologram using my DI-HO system.
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The photoresist transfer hologram was then sent to Applied Holographics Plc for replication by embossing onto gold coloured PET film. The adhesive backed PET film holograms were then die cut and applied to the product.
Each album in the Ultimate Collection is pressed as a special picture CD, identifiable by a gold ring around the outside.
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​Sadley, many of the holograms provided with the product, as made by Applied Holographics, have suffered degradation caused by oxidation of the aluminium metal layer, however I own and have retained the original master hologram.
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​Brian May from Queen told me personally that his copy of the hologram had suffered from oxidation.
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​Chris Levine, the owner of IC Holographic, reported that Roger Taylor of Queen has one framed on his wall at home.
​Unfortunately, no credits are given to me on the product or in any discographies for my design and creation of this historic hologram.
The discs included in Queen - The Ultimate Collection are:
1. Queen
2. Queen II
3. Sheer Heart Attack
4. A Night At The Opera
5. A Day At The Races
6. News Of The World
7. Jazz
8. Live Killers 1
9. Live Killers 2
10. The Game
11. Flash Gordon
12. Hot Space
13. The Works
14. A Kind Of Magic
15. Live Magic
16. The Miracle
17. Innuendo
18. Live At Wembley 1986 1
19. Live At Wembley 1986 2
20. Made In Heaven
Other holographic album covers created by me include:
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Boyzone – Father And Son, 1995 - Commissioned by IC Holographic Ltd.
Wet Wet Wet – Morning, 1996 - Commissioned by IC Holographic Ltd.
Laurent Garnier - Laboratoire Mix, 1996 - Commissioned by IC Holographic Ltd.
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Dance Album, 1996 - Commissioned by IC Holographic Ltd.
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Pictures and a description to follow.