The fusion of art and digital media technology creates mind-blowing images featured in “(art)n Virtual Visions: Three Decades of Collaboration,” an exhibit that made its premier in the Brunnier Museum on Thursday. It is the largest “(art)n” exhibit yet, showcasing a vividly stunning array of 38 PHSColograms.

A PHSCologram is an acronym coined in 1983 by Ellen Sandor, founding artist and director of “(art)n.” It stands for photography, holography, sculpture and computer graphics, which are combined to create a three-dimensional composition.

These images are not to be confused with holograms, as they are not created with lasers — the images are completely computer-generated.

Sandor says the PHSCologram images are produced through a series of as many as 65 digitally photographed images that are captured at slightly different positions across a horizontal plane. They are then combined on the computer for final output to transparent film. The “(art)n” program then generates a matching linescreen in order to interpret the final mounted photograph as a three-dimensional sculpture. Moving from side to side along the piece renders changing views of the scene for the observer.

“I formed ‘(art)n’ in 1983 with my peers from The School of the Art Institute [of Chicago],” Sandor says. “The original ‘(art)n’ group included sculptors, a fashion photographer, holographers and video artists, and continued to evolve over the past 20 years to include digital artists.”

Sandor expands on the changing technical development of the project through the years.

“It began as large, full-color, non-interactive, immersive environments that were analog,” Sandor says. “The content was hand-made dioramas that were photographed. It has evolved into 100 percent digital content and output … and includes interactivity for some projects.”

Sandor describes the finished product of this art as a virtual reality hard copy or photograph.

“We invented the hard copy of virtual reality and have been adding interactivity and sound,” Sandor says.

Dana Michels, curator for the University Museums, says the themes that are explored in the PHSColograms include art and science, history, virtual architecture, the HIV virus and space studies.

“I get a very modern, even futuristic, feeling from viewing the images,” Michels says. “My favorite work of art in this exhibition is probably ‘Divided We Speak/Virtual Sketch II.’ It includes images that look like hieroglyphics along with various forms of writing and floating televisions. It makes me think of how far communication has advanced and wonder about future technology.”

Sandor attributes her inspiration to the process-oriented works of Dada artists Man Ray and Marcel Duchamp, kinetic artist Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Chicago Imagists and the juxtaposition of science with art. She also acknowledges her past experience as a driving force in her art.

“Realizing how lucky I was to have been born and brought up in America, a deep sense of empathy with the outsider artist and human being, and a deep love of beauty, and a respect, love and appreciation for American pop culture and even a deeper love and respect for art history,” Sandor says.

When looking at this virtual reality genre of work, Michels finds interest in forms that would likely fail to strike an aesthetic note with onlookers outside of the virtual reality format.

“Each one is different. Some are works of art by artists that are rendered in three dimensions by ‘(art)n,’ ” Michels says. “Others are collages of images of historical events such as the Battle of Midway and the Holocaust, while still others magnify cells and viruses to monumental proportions. I was surprised and struck by the beauty of the structure of the viruses.”

The overall message in Sandor’s work is short and concise. She wants these images “to show that technology, that art, that political content can still transcend into beauty.”

Sandor will be speaking about the exhibition at the Brunnier Art Museum at 2 p.m. on Sunday. The art will be on display from Oct. 25 to Jan. 25.

“I hope that students will enjoy the PHSColograms and appreciate the art, science and technology that went into creating them,” Michels says.