Project Title: Beyond the Print
Project Overview:
“Beyond the Print” is a project designed to help you explore the potential of post-processing your 3D prints. The project challenges the conventional perception that 3D-printed objects are finished artworks when they are released from the printbed. I encourage you to delve into the extensive post-processing opportunities you have to reimagine and transform your prints into complex, multidimensional artworks.
Objectives:
– Students will expand their understanding of 3D printing beyond the confines of the machine’s output, exploring how additional artistic processes can elevate what you can creatively accomplish with a 3D print.
– Explore post-processing techniques, including sanding, painting, gluing, and combining various elements, allowing students to express their creativity and technical skills.
– Encourage students to think critically about the role of technology in art and how manual interventions contribute to the narrative and aesthetic of the final artwork.
– Push the envelope of traditional 3D printing applications by incorporating unconventional materials and methods, promoting experimentation and originality.
Project Description:
Students are tasked with creating artwork that starts with 3D-printed components as its base. These components should be considered raw materials rather than finished products. Through a series of post-processing techniques—such as sanding for texture modification, painting for visual enhancement, gluing for structural expansion, and combining with non-printed elements—students will transform these components into unique art pieces. The final work should reflect a harmonious blend of technology and manual artistry, showcasing the students’ ability to think and create ‘Beyond the Print.’
RESEARCH. Your participation in learning is very important. You will need to do your own research to find post-processing techniques that will get your work to where you want it to be. Think broadly about what you can do: Magnets? Melting? Drawing on the objects? Suspended objects? Wall pieces? Combination forms? Textured paint? Gold enamel? Sandblasting? Electroplating? Covering in resin? Flocking?
The prints must be models you created yourself in Shapr3D (or some other modeling program if you are experimenting with others). You should not assemble someone else’s parts (as we did in the Remix Colab project).
Process:
– Sketches outlining the concept, design, and planned post-processing techniques. We will discuss these as a group in class.
– Experiment and develop your techniques to align with your creative goals. We have an in-progress critique about halfway through the project.
– A final artwork accompanied by your digital files and what you did during your post-processing experiments.
Assessment Criteria:
– Creativity and originality in concept and execution.
– Research conducted and employed in the development of the artwork.
– Technical proficiency in both 3D printing and post-processing techniques.
– Coherence and depth in the integration of the concept with the final artwork.