Expanded stereoscopy: Alternative aesthetics for artistic expression in 3D films

3D cinema has been defined by a quest for increased realism and immersion and the recreation of realistic depth perception. However, instead of merely seeing stereo vision as a visual enhancement of 2D cinema, some contemporary moving image artists explore unique types of perceptual illusions and ambiguous perceptions in their stereoscopic films. Through the experimental stereoscopic films of Blake Williams and Kazuhiro Goshima, and interviews with the artists, this paper focuses on the artists’ motivations behind their works and their intended impacts on audiences. Drawing mainly on aesthetic, perceptual and technical perspectives, the paper examines how artists use experimental approaches to stereoscopic imaging and theorises the resulting aesthetics and perceptual forms for S3D films.