Printable Objects

This is some pretty cool technology. Make something on the computer, and print it out. I'm sure you know how to print a document, but did you know you can also print an object?

I made this quick test cube in Rhino and had it printed out. The point of this little cube was to experiment with the printer's capacity for detail and to test the strength of the material. 

My digital model in Rhino

The finished product, printed out in some special mixture of plaster.

3D printers create tangible objects from a digital .STL file by building the material up layer by layer, which is why my cube has that surface texture. This process is called "rapid prototyping," it's newly available to the public (more or less) and it's opening new frontiers in object design, production, and innovation. Check out Shapeways for printer outsourcing and information.

All my digital models and renderings can be seen in my portfolio, all built and rendered in Rhino.

Just in case making art in real life isn't enough...

Art gallery opening at the Towson Innovation Lab in Second Life. Collaborative project investigating "Hype," involving Towson University, Winthrop University, and The University of Dundee (Scotland)

My presentation board was quite a hit.

Project objectives posted inside the gallery

List of contributing artists who were selected by a jury to appear within the gallery (I'm on the right panel)

Outdoor critique of process presentations

Gallery critique of selected artworks (My Valor piece is on the left)

My installed work in the gallery

Green Valor

Just in time for Earth Day, I finished my 3D project on "Hype." I figured that the green movement is getting boat loads of hype these days, so I'll do something with that. I was thinking about wartime propaganda, which brought me to WWII medals. So, I decided to design a brooch medal for green-minded commuting cyclists. To honor their valor in the face of traffic and distance. It will have an environmentally friendly green ribbon, and it features a bike gear in the center. Thanks, bikers!

(Facebook readers, click here to see the videos!)

This 3D digital object will be printed out (in 3D), through Shapeways.

This is how it works:

And my final product should look like:

Rendered using Flamingo in Rhino.

As an additional project stipulation, we were required to upload our product and process onto a slideshow in Second Life. I've never used the program before, and I can't say I'm its biggest fan, but it has some interesting features. We are collaborating with an arts college in England, and we will all meet for an international critique in Second Life. Its sort of like a visual chat room where we can host presentations. Towson University has its own island in the digital world, search "Towson Innovation Lab" to teleport there. If you're not entirely sure what Second Life is, watch this:



Well, if it's a school requirement, I guess I'll play along. It's pretty funny hearing teachers say "Ok well email me your information in first life and I'll send you the materials in Second Life." ...Sorry Jan!


In MY second life, I am batgirl.
"Savvy Rumble"

Gimmie your L$.

People keep telling me that Second Life is the new big thing- its the new form of marketing, e-commerce, communications, and distribution. They said the same thing about blogging.

Digital Koons

Digital Object Design project: Make an Animal

Balloon Dog a la Jeff Koons:

I saw this sculpture a few years ago in front of the Guggenheim in Venice, right off the Grand Canal.

Rhino, the 3D program we've been using, has some nice reflective renders, so I thought I'd copy Mr. Koons for this exercise.

And I also made a duck.

Fantasy Landscape

My first big project in digital 3D, using a program for Mac in Beta called Rhino. This is super difficult. Not at all my cup of tea. Eventually though, I'll be using this technology to print my designs from the computer into a real 3D object. I'd like to combine this with Ponoko somehow.. We shall see.

A short video on Rapid Prototyping, 3D Printing: