Back in 1973, British computer scientist Martin Newell digitally sculpted a 3D model, the Utah Teapot, which became an early icon of the computer graphics industry. The teapot shape contained a number of elements that made it ideal for the graphics experiments of the time – it was round, contained curves with saddle points, was especially complex because of the hole in the handle, could project a shadow on itself, and could be displayed accurately without a surface texture.
Newell’s wife, Sandra Newell, was the one who actually suggested modeling their tea set since they were sitting down for tea at the time. He sketched the teapot free-hand, and later took to the computer.
Of course, with this being a pinnacle early test of computer graphics, when Pixar Animation Studios ventured to the next evolution of computer graphics and animation with the first-ever full-length animated film, they paid homage to the teapot, which you can see during the classic tea party scene when Buzz has taken on the Mrs. Nesbitt persona.
But that isn’t the only way Pixar has used the teapot as a fun tribute. In 2003, Pixar’s Dylan Sisson gave the teapot some legs, turning the teapot in a walking embodiment of the innovative spirit of RenderMan, the pioneering software from Pixar that has been used to make some of the most memorable animation and VFX from studios around the world, including their own.
Sisson’s toy novelty turned the iconic symbol into a toy collectible known throughout the computer graphics community, and SIGGRAPH 2023 has presented the very rare opportunity of seeing them all in one place, featuring each one spanning over the last 20 years.
Each of the teapots are different, with some paying tribute or referencing films from Pixar Animation Studios, many of which you can catch streaming now on Disney+.