3D printing has opened up new doors in the art world, allowing artists to create geometries that would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to create by other means. Brad Jirka and Katherine Jones of the design studio Bohemiawerks are big fans of 3D printing, but they’re under no illusions about it being a quick or easy method of creation. The duo spent more than 65 hours on a recent 3D printed model, recreating the design 40 different ways in the design software formZ before 3D printing it on three different printers. The final work, a complex piece that tricks the eye, is well worth all the time and effort, though.
“That’s something that you couldn’t even try without the computer. It wouldn’t be realistic,” said Jirka. “By the time you’d figured out how that worked, that’d be months of messing around with a piece of wax. You’d have to do hundreds of iterations. When you were done, you couldn’t go, ‘What if I twisted it 15 degrees?’ That would be impossible. That’s where I think [3D printing] is most effective, is in exploring what the possibilities are.”
Jirka and Jones met at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, where Jirka now teaches, and were married in 1980. They opened their first studio, St. Elmo’s Inc., in 1984, then moved and started Bohemiawerks in 2001. With St. Elmo’s, they worked a great deal in neon and other forms of lighting; they’ve always been interested in unconventional art forms.
“I think it’s looking for new things, but not necessarily things that other people aren’t using, because we all use so much stuff,” said Jirka.
Jirka is also fond of crafts that involve working with his hands, such as wood and metal working, but he loves the opportunities that 3D printing opens up.
Brad Jirka [Image courtesy of MCAD]
“There’s something really refreshing about going through that ideation process faster, and actually being able to get product out of it,” he said. “[The software] can both limit the process and it can expand the process—it depends how tenacious you are about exploring what’s possible.”
Jirka and Jones’ work ranges from small, jewelry-like pieces to giant installations mounted on skyscrapers. Scale isn’t an issue for them, and much of their work is interactive.
Some people like to divide artists into two camps: the traditionalists, who are suspicious of new methods of creation like 3D printing, and the new crop of artists for whom art and technology are inseparable. That’s often an unfair and untrue distinction. There are plenty of artists like Jirka and Jones, who have been working in the art world for decades but who are always on the lookout for new ways to create. Despite the possibilities that 3D printing presents, Jirka does admit that there are drawbacks to the technology, such as the potential for intellectual property theft – but he has a sense of humor about the potential for his art to be reproduced.
“My dream’s always been to have something turn up at Kmart,” he said. “I can go into Kmart and buy it out of a bin.”
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We think it’s possible to find the perfect gift for everyone at the Shapeways Marketplace. We’ve compiled another curated list of 12 gift ideas for the sophisticated people in your life, no matter how specific their interests may be.
Help the visionary in your life find the pinnacle of perfection wherever they go with this Fibonacci Spiral Pendant. Add a chain for a complete necklace look.
Golden Phi Spiral Rectangular Grid Pendant by Sacred Tribe
For Art Collectors
Art lovers will adore this 3D head design inspired by MC Eschers’ Face Peel drawing.
Escheresque Face peeling by BAROBA’s Shop
Also available as earrings for artistic accessorizers!
Escherian Head Earring by jasolo
For Avocado Addicts
Celebrate the much-adored superfruit with these gorgeous avocado earrings, available in silver, gold, and polished brass.
BendU – Universal Mobile Stand by Urbano Rodriguez´s Shop
For Modern Gentlemen of Taste
This sophisticated plastic bowtie adds a futuristic and fun element to any fancy ‘fit.
Bow Tie by monocircus
For Brilliant Mathematicians
This pencil cup features the first 546 digits of Pi in an attractive and sturdy spiral design. Perfect for teachers and math lovers!
Pi Pen Holder by Cinemo
For Driven Drummers
Help them turn their destroyed drumstick collection into an art piece they can be proud of with this wall mount for broken sticks. Rock on.
The Stick Clip v1.0- Broken Drum Sticks Become Art by A Place for You to Buy Yourself Things
For Caffeine Fiends
Even when there’s no coffee in sight, this caffeine molecule pendant will help them remember what’s important in life. Perfect for use as a necklace (add a chain) or keychain.
Caffeine Molecule Necklace / Keychain by moleculestore
For Style Icons
Sometimes it’s more important to be seen than to see.
DEAL WITH IT Shades by Raw Legend Collaborations
For Potterheads
Gift this beautiful Deathly Hallows pendant to the avid Harry Potter Fan in your life—they’ll know what it means. Complete the look with a chain.
Deathly Hallows Necklace by Fanatic Alley
For Rare Gem Collectors
This human-designed and 3D printed gem echoes the real formation of the desert rose crystal, rendered in rainbow hues. A statement piece for any crystal collection.
Rainbow Desert Rose – imaginary rock collection by Seedling Design
We’re bringing you the latest 3D printing business news in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, plus a little 3D printed art to round things out. FATHOM is partnering with SOLIDWORKS software reseller GoEngineer, while L’Oréal is working with INITIAL, a Prodways Group company. Kickstarter and Autodesk are releasing a new open source 3D printing test, and 3D LifePrints has renewed its collaboration with the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. Fargo 3D Printing has formed a new spin-off business, a metal 3D printed parts bureau has purchased an EBAM system from Sciaky, and 3D Systems’ SLA technology is being used to deliver customized dental solutions. Finally, we take a look at some fun and creative 3D printed artwork.
FATHOM and GoEngineer Announce Strategic Partnership
SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD software and Stratasys 3D printer reseller GoEngineer has announced a new strategic agreement with 3D printing company FATHOM. GoEngineer has purchased FATHOM’s 3D printing equipment reseller business, so that FATHOM can focus solely on its digital manufacturing services. Thanks to the agreement, the two partners will be able to scale their respective businesses in different, but significant ways, leveraging their strengths in order to create a large product development ecosystem of hardware, software, engineering, design, manufacturing, and training solutions that customers can use to drive innovation.
Michelle Mihevc, the Co-founder and Principal at FATHOM, said, “It’s exciting for our industry because both FATHOM and GoEngineer are uniquely positioned to meet the ever-increasing demand for advanced tools and services that enhance and accelerate a company’s product development and production processes.”
L’Oréal and INITIAL Increasing Development of 3D Printed Thermoplastic Parts
The cosmetics industry has a constant challenge in quickly marketing new products to meet the many specific demands of customers. That’s why L’Oréal is teaming up with INITIAL, a Prodways Group subsidiary – the two are ramping up development of 3D printed thermoplastic parts. More specifically, INITIAL’s new solution, 3D Molding, uses 3D printing to make plastic injection molds for “final material” parts at less cost and in record time. Recently, L’Oréal needed 14 resin test molds, along with 20 injection molding test runs and several hundred molded parts. By using Prodways’ patented MOVINGLight 3D printing technology and PLASTCure Rigid 10500 resin, the company was able to achieve accurate 3D prints in just two weeks.
“We produce the 3D Printing mould and the final material parts are then directly injection-moulded,” said Yvon Gallet, INITIAL’s Chairman. “With our 3D printing and injection expertise, we were best placed to develop this unique solution. It is aimed at designers in the development phase and complements our traditional machining and injection solutions. It is an innovative alternative that meets the needs of manufacturers, like L’Oréal, that could benefit from this technological advance to reduce their time to market.”
Kickstarter and Autodesk Releasing Open Source 3D Printing Calibration Test
Prints of the test file from Cubibot and Robo printers.
The evidence speaks for itself – Kickstarter is a great place for 3D printing. The popular crowdfunding site requires that 3D printer creators demonstrate the functionality of their systems through various means, but it can be hard to compare the performance of different machines, because not everyone shows off the same test prints, like the 3D Benchy. So Kickstarter is working at Autodesk to address this lack of a common standard for assessing FDM 3D printer performance, and will soon be releasing a new open source 3D printer test for Kickstarter creators, developed by Autodesk research scientist Andreas Bastian.
“We believe this test procedure will support greater transparency in our community,” Zach Dunham wrote in a Kickstarter blog post. “We started with FDM printers because they’re the most common model on Kickstarter. Our goal over time is to expand this calibration test to other printing technologies like stereolithography. Though this test is optional for creators to share on their project pages, electing to do so opens a frank conversation about quality. And backers of any 3D printer project can share images of their own tests by posting them with the hashtag #FDMtest.”
Creators can download the single, consolidated STL file and instructions to test their 3D printers’ alignment, dimensional accuracy, and resolution on Github.
3D LifePrints and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital Renew Collaboration
The Alder Hey Children’s Hospital has signed a long-term collaboration agreement with 3D LifePrints, a UK-based medical 3D printing company and a founding member of the hospital’s Innovation Hub. The company has had an embedded 3D printing facility at the 1,000 square meter underground co-creation space since 2015, and was supported by the hospital for its first two years there, showcasing the impact of its work and establishing its unique 3D printed offerings. Under the agreement, the company will continue supplying the hospital with its specialized 3D printing services.
“I am really proud of this milestone in our ongoing partnership. Incubating a start-up company in a hospital, to the point where they have series A funding, a multi-year contract with the NHS and diffusion to other medical centres around the country is an enormous vindication of what the Innovation hub was set up for,” said Iain Hennessey, Clinical Director and a paediatric surgeon at Alder Hey. “I couldn’t be more pleased to see 3DLP help integrate this emerging technology into clinical practice.”
Fargo 3D Printing Forms 3D Printer Repair Business
North Dakota-based Fargo 3D Printing has formed a new business out of its 3D printer repair segment, called Fargo 3D Printer Repair. While its parent company continues to focus on multiple aspects of the industry, the five-person repair team at the new Fargo 3D Printer Repair can devote 100% of its time to providing 3D printer repair and service to individuals, schools, OEMs, and businesses. The new spin-off company currently provides production-scale warranty servicing, maintenance, and repair services for multiple OEM 3D printing companies across North America; service and repair requests can be made through an intuitive form on its website.
“We don’t sell any 3D printers ourselves, so we are able to remain brand impartial when recommending and performing 3D printer repairs,” said John Olhoft, the CEO of Fargo 3D Printer Repair, who started working in the original shop as a repair technician. “Original Equipment Manufacturers like that they can trust us to provide high quality repairs with a quick turnaround, and not push a competing brand on their customers.”
Sciaky Providing EBAM System to Metal 3D Printing Bureau
Metal 3D printing solutions provider Sciaky will provide one of its Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing (EBAM) systems to Michigan-based FAMAero (Future Additive Manufacturing in Aerospace), a privately-owned metal 3D printed parts bureau. According to Sciaky, this custom EBAM system will be the largest production metal 3D printer in the world, with a 146″ x 62″ 62″ nominal part envelope that will be able to produce metal parts over 12 feet in length. FAMAero will use the massive new EBAM system to provide metal 3D printing services to customers in the aerospace, defense, oil & gas, and sea exploration industries.
Don Doyle, President of FAMAero, said, “FAMAero is entering the market as the first private, dedicated parts bureau in North America for large-scale 3D printed metal parts. Our Factory as a Service concept, combined with Sciaky’s industry-leading EBAM® technology, will provide manufacturers a new avenue to significantly slash time and cost on the production of critical parts, while offering the largest build platform and selection of exotic metals to choose from in the 3D parts service market.”
Creating Customized Dental Solutions with 3D Systems’ SLA 3D Printing
In order to make over 320,000 invisible dental aligners in a single day, Align Technology uses SLA 3D printing from 3D Systems. The company’s technology allows Align to create the unique aligner forms so that they are customized to each individual patient’s dental data. So far, Align has treated nearly 6 million patients, but using 3D printing technology is helping the growth of its business accelerate.
“What makes Align’s mass customization so unique is not only are we producing millions of parts every month, but each one of these parts that we produce is unique,” said Srini Kaza, the Vice President of Advanced Technology for Align Technology. “And this is really, as far as I know, the only true example of mass production using 3D printing.”
Ben Fearnley Uses SLA 3D Printing to Bring Artwork to Life
Sculptmojis
SLA 3D printing isn’t just good for use in dental applications, however. Ben Fearnley, a designer, illustrator, and 3D artist based out of New York City, uses the technology to, as he told 3DPrint.com, “bring my work to life from the 3D world to the real world.”
One interesting piece of 3D printed art Fearnley creates is Good Vibes Only Typography – script style typography lettering sculptures modeled in Cinema 4D and 3D printed on his Form 2. But my personal favorite are his Sculptmojis, which look pretty much exactly how they sound. These pieces, which are a combination of traditional sculpture art forms and modern emojis, originally began as a digital art project, and have now been brought to amusing, quirky life through 3D printing. You can purchase Fearnley’s unique 3D printed artwork here.
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In 3D Printing News Briefs, in which we share news about some upcoming events, and then move on to business, science, and 3D printing pen art. Europac 3D and Addition Design and Research are showing their plans for the upcoming TCT Show, and the Formlabs Roadshow is coming to Chicago next month. Makelab has launched its on-demand production platform, powered by AMFG software, and Rize published a brief about 3D printing in life sciences. Finally, 3Doodler announced an upcoming video class series on 3D printing pen art.
Europac 3D Announces Lineup for TCT Show 2018
Top UK 3D printing, scanning, and inspection business Europac 3D announced that its booth for this year’s TCT Show in Birmingham will be its “biggest and most informative” yet, showcasing the latest in 3D printing innovations. In addition to displaying and 3D printing a range of sunglasses during the show to illustrate its end-to-end solutions, the company will also display 3D printers from HP and UnionTech, NX software from Siemens, and 3D scanners from Artec and Kreon Technologies. Experts will also be on hand at Europac’s booth to answer any questions.
“We will have our biggest and best stand to date at TCT this year and will be hosting 3D printing, scanning and modelling experts to provide visitors with a one stop shop for all their technical queries,” said John Beckett, Managing Director of Europac. “Europac 3D will be on hand to demonstrate all of our latest projects and innovations. We look forward to welcoming visitors to our stand for what promises to be an unforgettable event.”
Check out what Europac to offer at Stand M26 at the TCT Show, running from September 25th-27th.
Addition Design and Research Attending TCT Show 2018
Another 3D printing company that’s announced its plans to exhibit at the TCT Show is contract research and development (CRD) supplier Addition Design & Research, which provides end-to-end advanced design and manufacturing solutions using 3D printing. While the company is rather new to the 3D printing industry, it’s long worked at the intersection of CRD, high value design and engineering, and AM with other organizations to create high quality business solutions.
Addition Design & Research will be available during the TCT Show at Stand K49 for one-on-one meetings to provide insight into its expertise, offer advice on how to adopt 3D printing, and to discuss collaboration. Any organizations in the UK searching for a primer on using 3D printing as a business solution should attend the company’s training course in Sheffield just ahead of the show.
“Formlabs is traveling to industry hubs across North America to celebrate the capabilities of 3D printing in digital manufacturing,” the event reads. “We are bringing together local innovators and global disruptors to discuss how accessible 3D printing technology is enabling manufacturing across the business and education landscapes. Join us as we tackle opportunities and barriers in digital manufacturing and design with industry experts.”
The event, which centers around taking advantage of Industry 4.0, will be held from 10:30 – 2 on Friday, September 14th at the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute (DMDII). Speakers include several well-known 3D printing experts, including Luke Winston, the Chief Business Officer at Formlabs, and Siemens’ Additive Manufacturing Solutions Director Chris Weber, with more to be announced soon. Tickets are less than $70, so sign up here to attend.
Makelab Launched On-Demand Production Platform
Brooklyn-based 3D printing service bureau Makelab is partnering with AMFG, which creates automation software for industrial 3D printing, to launch a new on-demand production platform. AMFG’s software will automate Makelab’s manufacturing operations, as well as make its 3D printing services more accessible to universities, engineers, and designers. Customers can use AMFG’s on-demand portal to easily request 3D printed parts with its auto-quoting tool, while Makelab will be able to track parts and requests, automatically schedule jobs and optimize build space, plan for post-processing, and conduct quality assurance.
“With AMFG, we’ve found an end-to-end solution which not only takes care of the auto-quoting in a more user-friendly and intuitive way, but also takes care of managing production, which is a huge advantage for us. As we scale our business, we’re always looking for innovative ways to solve key issues like keeping track of all our machines, effectively packing builds and ultimately, optimising our workflow for maximum efficiency,” said Makelab Co-Founder Christina Perla. “AMFG answered all of these questions and more, so we can provide a faster, more efficient service for our customers.”
Rize Commissions Brief on Life Sciences 3D Printing
Boston-based 3D printing company Rize recently commissioned a new Insight Brief, titled “Personalized 3D Printing in Life Sciences,” written by Axendia’s Eric Luyer, an Industry Research Analyst, and Ellyn McMullin, a Research Associate. There are many applications for 3D printing in the healthcare, medical device, pharmaceutical, and surgery industries, and Life Sciences companies can use the technology to break down barriers. But there are plenty of complex regulations to be managed in order for this to be successful. The brief discusses 3D printing applications in Life Sciences, some of the FDA guidelines, and how Rize’s 3D printing Augmented Polymer Deposition (APD) technology is very important to controlling some of the important processes that Life Sciences manufacturers need.
“RIZE’S patented APD system is key to Traceability, Control of Process Parameters and validated processes that Manufacturers must maintain and control to meet FDA 21 CFR 820.30 Design Controls requirements. It’s an industrial 3D Printer where complex geometry can be manufactured matching patients’ anatomy,” said Kishore Boyalakuntla, Vice President of Product at RIZE.
Popular Kickstarter-backed company 3Doodler is working with Bluprint, owned by NBCUniversal, on a series of 3D Pen Art video classes aimed at teaching makers and crafters how to create works of art with the 3Doodler Create+ 3D Pen. Its content, available for free online through Bluprint, Craftsy, and streaming apps like Roku, will be part of the new entity’s expanded subscription service, and Grace Du Prez, an internationally renowned 3D pen artist whose work we’ve covered before, will be the host of the show, which marks the first such broadcast agreement for 3Doodler.
Six episodes will run through the 2018 holiday season, and the first five are already up, covering projects like phone cases, terrariums, and lantern lights; you will need to sign up for a free Bluprint trial to watch. The sixth video class will be an episode of Doodle Wars, a new, family-friendly NBC competition series. Check out a teaser video for Doodle Wars below:
NEW SHOW TIME: Doodle Wars is here ! These artists are incredible and thanks to this show I’m now calling myself Bob Ross Jr. Shoutout to Bluprint NBC and the whole awesome Hudsun Media team that made it happen and our great judges Zoe Hong + Jon Chad. Catch the whole season over at mybluprint.com now!….#doodlewars #iamadoodlerwarrior #doodle #scribble #draw #art #doodling #competition #mybluprint
Gepostet von Paul Costabile am Mittwoch, 15. August 2018
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It’s truly amazing what can be done artistically with 3D printing. The medium allows for plenty of design freedom, and some artists have even taken the approach of using Gcode to generate unique works of art. There’s something fascinating about using code to create art; it’s a true melding of creativity and technology, and nothing like it was ever possible until recently. 3D printing art studio Cunicode was founded in 2011, and is run by Bernat Cuni, a product designer who specializes in digital fabrication. Through the studio, he collaborates with other individuals and service providers to create digitally-generated works of art.
Cunicode’s latest work, Permutation, is a collection of stoneware. Each piece is composed of nine basic units placed around a cylinder. They were designed in Rhino and Grasshopper and 3D printed by BCN3D Technologies on a PotterBot 3D printer. The number of variations that can be generated by the code is truly staggering. For example, one piece, titled “P114.3,” could have been made with 148,791,629,670,981,130,805,037,453,479,575,340 different combinations. That’s one hundred and forty eight decillion, seven hundred and ninety one nonillion, six hundred and twenty nine octillion, six hundred and seventy septillion, nine hundred and eighty one sextillion, one hundred and thirty quintillion, eight hundred and five quadrillion, and thirty seven trillion, four hundred and fifty three billion, four hundred and seventy nine million, five hundred and seventy five thousand, three hundred and forty. Yikes.
Ironically, there’s something ancient-looking about the pieces themselves, their combinations of lines, dots and swirls resembling some kind of old written language. One could make a philosophical statement about art coming full circle, about the newest form of art mirroring the oldest, about digital fabrication creating similar works to what humans created thousands of years ago. If you don’t want to get that deep, however, you can still appreciate the ceramic pieces for their beauty.
Cunicode’s other projects are just as fascinating. In one, called art.faces, eight famous paintings were selected, and the designers allowed the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to “perform a direct regression of a volumetric representation of the 3D facial geometry from a single 2D image.” In other words, the faces in the paintings were turned into 3D representations. They’re almost eerie to look at, as though there’s something alive about them.
Another work, Tree Ring, takes photogrammetry data captured from a live tree and turns it into beautiful rings that look like metallic slices of a tree trunk. Others include 3D figurines made from children’s drawings, GPS tracks turned into tiny 3D printed mountains, and experimental jewelry and coffee cups.
Some people are still skeptical about 3D printed art, but in my opinion, there’s no question that digital fabrication is just as valid an art form as any other. Deep knowledge of the technology is required to generate art like Permutation and Cunicode’s other works, as well as the creativity to harness the technology to create something both visually appealing and brand new. It takes just as much craftsmanship to create something digitally as it does manually – and thankfully, the idea that 3D printed art isn’t true “art” seems to be fading.
If you’re interested in creating an experimental project using digital fabrication, Cunicode is accepting requests for collaboration.
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3D printed oil lamps from the Roman, Islamic and late antique periods.
The Manacor Museum in Mallorca, Spain was founded in 1908 as an archeological museum, but has since evolved into a true historical museum, showcasing objects from across the historical spectrum. Even the building itself is of historical interest, having been constructed in the 13th century. The objects themselves are displayed behind glass cases or in cordoned off areas, but as many of them were objects of use, they seem to cry out to be held. Unfortunately, such handling can cause significant preservation problems and so most museums have become churches of ‘look, but don’t touch.’
Now, however, 3D printing is helping museums to bridge that gap in the sensual experience and the Manacor is the latest to take advantage of the technology. They are starting out with a small exhibit of 12 exact replicas of objects in their collections that have been reproduced and are being offered to the waiting fingertips of the museum’s public. The objects selected for recreation were chosen by the museum staff and then scanned using advanced photogrammetry performed by Néstor F. Marqués.
All of the objects have been 3D printed at full size so that the museumgoer can really understand how the objects looked and felt to those who were interacting with them when they were created. In addition, great attention was paid to recreating the smallest details, being printed with a layer precision of between 200 and 100 microns, and some even as fine as 50 microns when smaller details were an integral part of the object’s presence. The objects were not quite ready to act as replicas of the original until they were finished and painted by hand, by experts Margalida Munar and Bernat Burgaya, so as to be nearly indistinguishable from the originals.
3D printed oil lamps from the Roman, Islamic and late antique periods.
The exhibit of the 3D printed replicas is set to be available to the public until July 15, but it’s more than likely that the replicas won’t just be assigned to some dusty storage bin. Instead, the museum recognizes the potential of these objects to reach out to a wide variety of audiences, including visitors with vision impairments, who might otherwise not be able to experience the displays that the museum has to offer.
This type of 3D printed replication is becoming an increasingly common practice in museums as it allows them to inexpensively create interactive exhibits that work to draw their visitors into the experience of the objects on display.
3D printing process of a Roman marble herma (bust) of the god Bacchus.
The use of 3D technology not only helps to produce the objects in their physical form; it has been repeatedly demonstrated to be the most effective way to preserve the information about their physical aspects without causing any damage to the original objects themselves. Ironically, it is this no-touch approach that allows museums to create more possibilities for hands-on interaction than ever before.
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One of the greatest things about reporting on the world of 3D printing is learning about its more unusual uses. It’s obvious that 3D printing is changing the way many larger (and smaller) companies create, prototype, and manufacture today as they embrace the benefits of greater speed in production, affordability (often producing parts at a fraction of the cost), and the ability to design and print onsite rather than going through a third party. We continually follow serious developments within the industrial world, to include automotive, medicine, medical devices, aerospace, construction, art—and so much more—but 3D design and 3D printing together allow for an infinite amount of innovation. Because of that, you never know what’s coming next!
Here’s a good example: blue and white 3D printed porcelain. Delving into the world of textiles and materials, we are able to learn more about the process Olivier van Herpt, a Dutch designer, went through in creating his 3D version of the blue and white delftware which is the Netherlands’ national product—and one with a rich history too.
Blue Delft originally came about as designers in the Netherlands wanted to make a local knockoff similar to porcelain being imported from China. Because they lacked kaolin, however, the Netherlands version came off with what may have originally been an unintended look of its own. The earthenware was exotic but still retained the oriental and decorative style.
Van Herpt began using a ceramic 3D printer as he worked to improve the creation of porcelain, eventually making 14 stackable pieces. His printer is capable of producing ceramic objects up to 90 cm high, with thin walls and a hard clay body. Van Herpt has always been on a mission to ‘push the limits of existing 3D printing technologies,’ and has created collections that are meant to soften up the hard edges of industrial design. While also enjoying working with larger pieces and alternative materials such as paraffin, clay, and more, the impactful designer enjoys bringing a human element into industry.
“The consistent flow of material is proven by the fine layers that manifest in the precision of the printing process. The unglazed surface underlines the character of the material and is shown in the structure as a result of the movement of the printer. The tiled surface indicates the digital provenance of the object applied in a precise, sinuous form,” states van Herpt in the case study regarding the project.
“The blue pattern is the translation of human interaction by the machine. Cobalt pigment is applied by hand on the clay body before being inserted in the extruder. The pattern is then reconstructed by the 3D printer, resulting in a radial gradient celebrating cooperation between man and machine.”
Find out more about the designer and his functional 3D printed ceramic objects here.
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There’s something magnificent about a mural or a massive statue, but when it comes to art, bigger does not always mean better. In fact, some of the most remarkable pieces of art are so small that they can’t even be seen by the naked eye. Consider this nanoscale nativity scene, or this itty-bitty Wall of China, or this miniscule pyramid. 3D printing has evolved to the point that it can create items of incredible detail at sizes smaller than a human hair, and that’s pretty cool, to put it simply.
Microlight3D is a French company that specializes in bioprinting, two-photon polymerization and 3D microfabrication. In a collaboration with artist Michel Paysant, the company has created what it is calling the smallest sculpture in the world. Paysant, who has exhibited at the Louvre, combines art with technology to create striking visual works including a series of self-portraits. One day, he decided to 3D print his own head. He certainly wouldn’t be the first one to do so, but he didn’t want to create just an ordinary 3D print, so he contacted Microlight3D after 3D scanning himself.
Microlight3D took the high-resolution scan and 3D printed it at a resolution of 0.2 microns, or 0.0002 millimeters. Michel Bouriau, CTO of the company, handled the 3D printing and came up with a work of art so small that it requires a microscope to see. Once you look through that microscope, however, you can easily see the amazing detail in the sculpture, which has a height of 80 microns, or 0.08 millimeters, about the size of an ant’s eye. Never thought much about the size of an ant’s eye? That’s because you can’t see it – not without a microscope.
Microlight3D is a young company that has only been selling its 3D printers since January 2017, but 15 years of research into two-photon polymerization at the University Grenoble-Alpes has led to a great deal of expertise in tiny 3D printing. Nanoscale 3D printing is a technology that is still in development, and it has a lot of potential for next-generation medical treatments, computer applications, aerospace engineering and more.
Just a few months ago, YouTube star James Bruton made the record books for creating the tallest 3D printed sculpture of a human. His statue came in at 3.62 meters, or nearly 12 feet, tall. If you enjoy math, I challenge you to calculate how many of Paysant’s microscopic sculptures could fit on Bruton’s giant one. When Bruton broke the record, it hadn’t been held for very long, and neither had the previous record before that. We’ll see how long Bruton holds it, because 3D printed creations just keep getting bigger and bigger. Size isn’t really a limitation when it comes to 3D printing, so it won’t be surprising if someone else comes up with a smaller sculpture than Paysant’s before long.
Paysant’s nanoscale sculpture will be on display to the public – with microscope handy – at the Artotheque FRAC Limousin New Aquitaine from June 27th to November 3rd.
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Jirka and Jones met at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, where Jirka now teaches, and were married in 1980. They opened their first studio, St. Elmo’s Inc., in 1984, then moved and started Bohemiawerks in 2001. With St. Elmo’s, they worked a great deal in neon and other forms of lighting; they’ve always been interested in unconventional art forms.
