Tag Archives: 3-D Printing

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Tech for Artists First Project – Egg-Carton Peacock

  November 9, 2014 ,

With the goal of bringing interdisciplinary, data-driven tools to artists, my first step is to learn the tech myself and to create proof-of-concept artworks as demonstration examples, and then lead workshops for interested artist students about how they can use these tools in their own artistic practice. Project 1: Agisoft Photoscan My first tech exploration is the process of 3D photometric scanning using Agisoft Photoscan, and then 3D print a sculpture based on manipulations of that scan. I thought this would be a good transition tech for artists since it is so visual and deals with real-world applications where big-data and similar tech seem abstract and untouchable (at first). My first artwork will conceptually explore how 3D printing and scanning fit into the art/craft dialectic and how gender roles are defined. Traditionally, “craft” has been assigned primarily to the female gender, especially decorative and soft-material crafts like embroidering or floral arranging. Men have engendered hard craft, using materials like wood and metal that have practical uses. With the advent of at-home production using complex and technical 3D printers, men have traditionally dominated the genre for whatever reason. Now, in a role reversal, 3D printers on the consumer level are overwhelmingly known to create either parts for building and engineering, or decorative trinkets and gadgets. Using a craftbook from the 1970s written specifically for “housewives with leisure time,” I’ll recreate one of the projects using new technology. Specifically, I’ll 3D scan a foam egg carton, then in the computer attempt to … Continue reading

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Giving Artists New Tools Through Science And Technology

  October 30, 2014

Building connections between seemingly disparate areas is one of the joys of being an artist. It’s also one of the biggest challenges. Conceptually, artists are trained (or train themselves) to look at topics from multiple angles and to build relationships that express the nuances of the proverbial “human condition” (one of my least-favorite artspeak terms, though it seems appropriate in this context). We take input from the world around us, process it through the lense of our personal experiences and knowledge, then spit it out in some novel way as artwork. Art schools are generally pretty good at giving artists artistic tools, but the focus tends to be on traditional art-making practice and thinking. Even new-media programs seem to focus on accepted art and design technology, such as Adobe Photoshop and the like. But what happens when an artist wants to expand their research into scientific fields, or access big data? The tools are out there, but the learning curve is so steep as to be seen as insurmountable. I’ve heard from multiple artists that they’d love to access primary sources of information, but dont know how or where to look. Consequently they end up relying on possibly inaccurate second- or third-hand information, with the caveat that it’s okay because it’s art, not science. To a certain extent that’s true: (probably) no one’s going to die if an artist uses bad or incomplete data. However, art can expose and educate us to experience and information in ways that no spreadsheet … Continue reading

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CURVE–Ribbon Cutting!

  September 14, 2014 ,

CURVE is officially open as of Wednesday of this week! from Andrew Vaughan: Here are a few images from the 4K workstation where we were showing off 3D Visualizations in Archaeology for the attendees. Here I am showing off an artifact to an attendee. GSU Anthropology’s DJI Phantom and Artifacts Dr Becker checks out the GSU Anthropology Quadcopter. Robert, Dr. Glover and I showing off research to Dr. K, the Anthropology Chair. Robert Bryant and Dr. Glover giving GSU President Dr. Becker a lesson in Digital Archaeology. Dr. Jeffrey Glover Showing an Artifact to attendees. Robert Bryant demonstrating 3D artifact modeling.

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3D Printing and the Accuracy Problem

  September 8, 2014

Tea, Earl Gray, Hot Star Trek made us think that the advent and widespread consumer adoption of 3D printers would soon have us calling out, “Tea, Earl Gray, hot” and like magic the item appears. Unfortunately, the current state of the technology is far from magic. They’re clunky, complicated to operate, difficult to calibrate, and are constantly requiring fixing or tweaking to keep them running smoothly. Occasionally, things go well, and while many manufacturers are coming closer to the holy-grail of the 3D-printer-as-appliance, more often as not you’ll end up fiddling with something on the machine when things start to go bad.  You’re also limited by two other factors: material and accuracy. While industrial machines are close to being able to print fantastic things like human organs, consumer printers are usually relegated to plastic: either ABS (think LEGO bricks) or PLA. PLA is becoming the dominant material for consumer machines because it doesn’t require a heated build platform to prevent warping (ABS suffers from  temperature differentials while cooling, causing lower layers to shrink more quickly while upper layers are still warm, curling edges). It’s also biodegradable and made from plants, so it’s more eco-friendly. 3D printers work through a process called fused-deposit modeling (FDM). Plastic filament is heated and then extruded through a nozzle in little spaghetti-like threads, building up forms layer by layer. The smaller the distance between layers, the smoother the surface appears. Example of layer heights Accuracy isn’t much of an issue for the typical hobbyist, it … Continue reading