I spent the last week hanging out with old friends at the ACM/Siggraph conference, seeing technical papers, and generally immersing myself. And I started to better understand the nature of the bond that we computer graphics people share with one another.
We are people who have a passion for math, and also a passion for art and visual expression. And we recognize other people who share those two passions, which in our minds are inextricably linked.
We don’t necessarily love computers — they are just a means to an end. The computers are basically plumbing. You don’t love your house because it has plumbing, but you definitely want it to have working sinks and toilets.
There is a particular kind of shared language that people have when they love both math and visual expression, and are excited about creating things that embody both of those loves. Siggraph is the best place to find those people, and to start a wonderful conversation with them.
For me, some of those wonderful conversations have now been going on for decades.