SculptCAD Rapid Artists Project at TEDxSMU

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged about the SculptCAD Rapid Artists Project. The initial exhibition of the digitally created artwork occurred back in May at the Rapid 2010 trade show. Now the exhibit moves to Dallas for the TEDxSMU event on September 14, 2010.

From the link:

September 14, 2010 | TEDxSMU Rapid Artists Salon + Exhibit Opening

TEDxSMU is partnering with SculptCAD’s Rapid Artists program for the opening of the first art exhibit of its kind. Fourteen Dallas artists have diverged from their typical mediums to learn to sculpt using digital sculpting programs, and the final renderings of their creations were subsequently produced using ground-breaking 3D printing processes in materials from bronze to plastic.

On September 14, the exhibit will open at One Arts Plaza with an evening event co-produced by TEDxSMU and SculptCAD. Please join us to see the exhibit and hear TEDxTalks from several of the artists involved with the project and visit with the artists one-on-one about the pieces and their inspiration.

Click here for more on the Rapid Artist Project.

Tuesday, September 14
6:00-8:00pm | presentations at 6:30
One Arts Plaza Lobby
1722 Routh Street, Dallas, TX 75201

Tickets: $15 in advance / $20 the week of or at the door (pending availability)

Head below the fold for the official release on this event plus images of artwork from the project.

SculptCAD Rapid Artists Project at Rapid 2010

Here’s SculptCAD founder and president, Nancy Hairston, describing the project and the artwork at last week’s Rapid 2010 expo:

And here’s images of the artists’ work at the show’s gallery.

SculptCAD Rapid Artist — Shane Pennington

This post is the sixth in an ongoing series highlighting the artists behind the SculptCAD Rapid Artists Project. (Hit this link for all posts related to the project.)

Shane is a contemporary artist in Dallas, Texas.  He has exhibited his work internationally in Sydney, Australia at the Paddington Contemporary Gallery and domestically at Gallery Works in Aspen, Colorado, HCG Gallery in Dallas, and his own SP Studio in Dallas, Texas.

How did you get involved with the RAPID Artists project?

I met Nancy Hairston at one of my art exhibits.  She liked my work and asked me to participate in the SculptCAD RAPID Artists Project.

Is this your first experience with 3D/digital sculpting technology and tools?

Yes.

How have these technologies changed the way you approach your process?

The technology has expanded my creative process because it has given me immediate access to materials and design in a virtual world.   Such an expansive library of options has expanded my thought process as well.  Many of the functions in the software allow you to create structures and shapes that would not be easy to create on a standard project.

Are these digital tools having an effect on the work you are creating? Are the tools aiding/adding to/hindering the process?

I have had a positive experience using the digital tools.  I did not know what to expect but as I became more familiar with the software, I was also becoming more cognizant of what tools and options I had at my fingertips.  The possibilities seem limitless.

What are your thoughts on the SculptCAD Rapid Artists Project?

I think it was an amazing project and experience.  I plan on using this technology more in my work now and in the future.

Looking beyond the project, what do you have coming up in the near future art-wise? Do you have any shows or projects planned?

I have site specific installations scheduled in Toronto, Montana, and Sydney.  I also have two upcoming shows in June and July in Dallas.

How can people interested in your work get in touch with you?

Website: www.shanepennington.com

email: bluesky00@airmail.net

phone: 214 564 6980

Do you have any final thoughts on the Rapid Artists Project?

Way to go!! Thanks to all that were involved and made this possible.  Special thanks to the Milwaukee School of Engineering and the University of Louisville and Forecast 3D for the printing of the SLA resin sculpture pieces. And a big thank you to Nancy Hairston and Kevin Atkins at SculptCAD for all their support within the project! … it has opened up an entire new creative realm and medium for turning ideas into art.

Here’s the digital model of Shane’s SculptCAD Rapid Artist piece:

"Darwin's Theory" by Shane Pennington, digital model

Specifications on “Darwin’s Theory” and a statement on the piece from Shane:

Darwin’s Theory,  H 40 in x W 36 in x L 30 in, 2010, Artist: Shane Pennington

I am creating a tree and roots out of SLA White Resin to comment about the environment and the scarcity of natural rescues.  The top of the piece will be stylized cartoonish in nature and the roots will be a combination of real tree roots and synthetic roots.  Trees are the metaphor of this idea in this piece and the possibility of our need to synthetically recreate them in the future.

Head below the fold for more of Shane’s work.

SculptCAD Rapid Artist — Mark Grote

This post is the fifth in an ongoing series highlighting the artists behind the SculptCAD Rapid Artists Project. (Hit this link for all posts related to the project.)

Mark has been teaching at Loyola University for over thirty years as a full professor and he is a graduate of Washington University St. Louis. Mark has exhibited both nationally and internationally and is the recipient of numerous awards and grants including Fulbright, Pollock Krasner, Joan Mitchell, and Artist and Scholars at the American Academy of Rome.

How did you get involved with the RAPID Artists project?

Nancy Hairston is one of my past students.

Is this your first experience with 3D/digital sculpting technology and tools?

Yes

How have these technologies changed the way you approach your process?

It has opened up many possibilities for producing works or parts of work in mass.

Are these digital tools having an effect on the work you are creating? Are the tools aiding/adding to/hindering the process?

I believe they will have a very positive effect on my future work.

What are your thoughts on the SculptCAD Rapid Artists Project?

It has been a very well organized project and has offered all the artist a lots of information, feed back from other artist. Opened up new possibilities of how one thinks about and how one can make work. I hope they do another one next year and I can participate. Now that I know more I want to use that information.

Looking beyond the project, what do you have coming up in the near future art-wise? Do you have any shows or projects planned?

Project pending at Kohler artist in residence program.

How can people interested in your work get in touch with you?

www.markgrote.com

Here is Mark’s Rapid Artist concept and statement:

Statement The war on the Taliban and Al-Qaeda has now been going on for over nine years. The attackers used box cutters to takeover the four planes. Today we have only one thing we can look at to see our successes. And that is many of the Afghan people have been able to vote. However even that has much to be desired. Scan my finger and construct 234 fingers out of rubber. Dip each in blue ink and attach the box knife.

Head below the fold for more images of Mark’s work.

SculptCAD Rapid Artist — Brad Ford Smith

This post is the fourth in an ongoing series highlighting the artists behind the SculptCAD Rapid Artists Project. (Hit this link for all posts related to the project.)

Brad Ford Smith is a Dallas-based artist and a third generation Texan. His abstract organic forms focus on how the eye and mind translate information, and how that visual experience can be altered by the passing of time. Brad’s works on paper and wall sculptures have been exhibited throughout Dallas and Chicago, where he resided shortly after earning his BFA in painting and printmaking from the Kansas City Art Institute.

In addition to making art, Brad is a professional member of the American Institute of Conservation. He specializes in the restoration of wooden artifacts.

How did you get involved with the RAPID Artists project?

Heather Gorham (ed. note: also a RAPID Artists project participant) introduced me to the folks at SculptCAD about eight years ago. I instantly saw how this 3D modeling program could open up a new world of fabrication options. It has been on my list of must do ever since.

Is this your first experience with 3D/digital sculpting technology and tools?

Other than that first introduction eight years ago, I have kept tabs on the subject, but this is the first time for me to use/learn the program.

How have these technologies changed the way you approach your process?

The challenge is learning how to use the tools, and then using those tools to create in an artistic manner. With each new tool there is the temptation to get carried away with all the new things that that tool offers. For example, the spin tool will take any wiggly profile and spin it on an axis to create a solid form. I played with this tool for an hour or so, creating some really wonderful shapes, but in the end, those shapes were only about using the tool and not about artistic expression. Managing the WOW factor has been tricky.

Are these digital tools a net positive, a net negative or entirely neutral in your artistic process?

I really love learning new processes. They always offer new ways to see and manipulate the world. The only negative is that this sculpture represents the FIRST work of art that I have made using this process, therefore it represents a large learning curve. Hopefully I will have more opportunities to use this technology in the future.

What are your thoughts on the SculptCAD Rapid Artists Project?

When Nancy (Hairston, SculptCAD founder) asked me to be part of this project, and I saw the list of artists involved, I was very excited and honored. Even though the artists in the SCRA project come from a wide range of artistic directions and disciplines, we are all connected by using/learning this technology. That has given us a common thread to build our conversations upon, which has lead to some great insight on the creative process.

Looking beyond the project, what do you have coming up in the near future art-wise? Do you have any shows or projects planned?

As soon as I get my 3D computer sculpture sent off to the printer, I am off to Italy to spend some quality time looking at sculptures made the old fashion way. After that I will be creating a book of my drawings using the iPhoto book program, and then looking for a venue to install a few wall sculptures in.

How can people interested in your work get in touch with you?

You can see more of my artwork as well as links to my blog and flicker site at www.BradFordSmith.us

Do you have any final thoughts on the SculptCAD Rapid Artists Project?

After seeing the first round of sculptures come back from the printers last week, I am really excited about how all the artwork will look when shown together. I am also very interested in the reactions of the people who will see this group exhibit at the RAPID Prototype and 3D Imaging Conference this May.

SculptCAD Rapid Artist — David W Van Ness

This post is the third in an ongoing series highlighting the artists behind the SculptCAD Rapid Artists Project. (Hit this link for all posts related to the project.)

David W Van Ness is a Richardson, Texas-based artist and is a sculptor/educator whose work deals primarily with a surreal world developing after the fall of a civilization. David’s civilization, unlike ours, can manipulate nature to their whim. He’s the son of a very successful mathematician and was obsessed with myth, monsters, and science fiction as a child.

How did you get involved with the RAPID Artists project?

Since 2006 I have been working with SculptCAD on and off on several different projects. Nancy (Hairston, SculptCAD founder) came to me early and asked about people I thought she should include.  Though none of my suggestions were included, I was.

Is this your first experience with 3D/digital sculpting technology and tools?

No, SculptCAD first did work for me on my stacking cow project in 2006.

How have these technologies changed the way you approach your process?

The ability to test a design out and change it without much demand has been nice, but also a problem when the computer crashes amid working.  Just means I do the work again but this time more direct and succinct.

Are these digital tools having an effect on the work you are creating? Are the tools aiding/adding to/hindering the process?

Not really. I have been able to realize a project that I was working out in my head. I did have a little learning curve but now I think of them just like any tool.

What are your thoughts on the SculptCAD Rapid Artists Project?

It has been fun and interesting to see the other artists’ creations. I have been thinking about computer aided design for a long time and see now that I was rather limited in my vision

Looking beyond the project, what do you have coming up in the near future art-wise? Do you have any shows or projects planned?

I am giving a lecture at the conference and at Boise State University on this subject. I have yet to build much work this year beyond the RapidArtist piece. I did have one show earlier this year at Mary Thomas Gallery. I am working on new work for a show there as well. My galleries in Santa Fe and Denver are more salon type and don’t have “shows.”

How can people interested in your work get in touch with you?

www.davidvanness.com

vanness.dave (at) gmail.com

Do you have any final thoughts on the Rapid Artists Project?

I hope we can reproduce this experience again, with more and different artists I know this means that I might not be able to participate next time, but I think it would be interesting to see what develops

SculptCAD Rapid Artist — Heather Gorham

This post is the second in an ongoing series highlighting the artists behind the SculptCAD Rapid Artists Project. (Hit this link for all posts related to the project.)

Heather Gorham is a Dallas-based artist represented by the Craighead Green Gallery and shows her work across the United States. Unlike many of the project participants, Heather has previous experience with the haptics device and 3D technologies although this is her first use of those technologies in artwork.

How did you get involved with the RAPID Artists project?

I’ve known Nancy Hairston (project founder) and worked with Sculptcad for several years now. When she first had the idea for fine artists to create work using digital sculpting and asked me if I’d like to participate, I jumped at the chance.

Is this your first experience with 3D/digital sculpting technology and tools?

I have been working with 3D digital sculpting for several years now with Sculptcad, working on all sorts of different projects. This is my first real experience with creating my own vision using digital technology.

How have these technologies changed the way you approach your process?

Surprisingly, not so much. Despite the high tech nature I’m approaching this work much like I would in a more traditional medium. For me, it has become another tool in my toolbox. Albeit, a really, really cool one.

Are these digital tools having an effect on the work you are creating? Are the tools aiding/adding to/hindering the process?

So far, working digitally has mostly positive qualities. I think the only frustrating thing is the inability to actually touch, with your own hands, what you are creating. Feeling for imperfections or the perfect curve, getting that tactile feedback from your work.

The positives are the ability to try out different ideas and possibilities with a piece without having to permanently commit. You can test drive so many different ways to solve a problem and see all of your possible outcomes first.

What are your thoughts on the SculptCAD Rapid Artists Project?

I love the SRCA project, after working on projects other than my own, getting to create my own work digitally has been a real pleasure. I can feel that my own relationship to this process has grown and become more personal through working on my own art.  I’ve really embraced it.

Also, seeing other artists being introduced to this whole process and their excitement about it and what they can create. Their excitement has been contagious.

Looking beyond the project, what do you have coming up in the near future art-wise? Do you have any shows or projects planned?

I’m working on a large scale installation piece with about 150 rats, should be fun.

I always have work at the Craighead Green Gallery (in Dallas) with a big group show coming up on March 27^th.

How can people interested in your work get in touch with you?

You can see more work or contact me at HeatherGorham.com.

Do you have any final thoughts on the Rapid Artists Project?

Can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with.

Here is Heather’s prelimary sketch for the project piece:

Technical Specs My piece will be created combining stainless steel and bronze alloy for the body of the hare with the possibility of using a separate material, resin for the exposed internal bone structure. The size is approximately 25” x 15” x 12”.

Statement I wanted to use animal imagery for my sculpture, for me it was a way to insure the relatability of my work while using the digital process. I chose the hare because of the old world, romantic idea of beauty and nature it represents, juxtaposed with this new world, digital way of creation. I’m challenged by the innate sense of conflict this presents. The rabbit’s coat is intertwined and layered with sculptural shapes and text creating an extra layer of narrative within the animal’s fur. I’ve created negative cutouts around the body allowing the viewer to see some of the animal’s internal workings. This study of contrasts, old vs. new, metal to fur, nature and technology, exterior and interior are some of the paradoxes most enticing to me in creating this work.

Head below the fold for images of Heather’s digital work in process:

SculptCAD Rapid Artist — Heather Ezell

This post is the first in an ongoing series highlighting the artists behind the SculptCAD Rapid Artists Project. (Hit this link for all posts related to the project.)

Heather Ezell is a Dallas-based marble sculptor working out of an Oak Cliff studio and was asked to join the project by project founder and Rapid Artist Nancy Hairston. This project is Heather’s first hands-on experience with 3D/digital technology and tools.

How have these technologies changed the way you approach your process?

My process has been altered by the opportunities the technology offers. It’s given me a chance to think of new ways to create a piece that has an outcome I would not normally or so easily be able to manifest.

Are these digital tools having an effect on the work you are creating? Are the tools aiding/adding to/hindering the process?

The learning curve is, well, stimulating. However once I settled in I found it to be simply another medium. I found I was seeking that sweet spot in much the same way I do with an air hammer/chisel. And as with learning anything new it brings with it equal amounts of frustration and joy. The only negative is that one of the things I love about carving marble is physical freedom and working out doors.

What are your thoughts on the SculptCAD Rapid Artists Project?

I’m thankful for the opportunity to be on the ground floor exploration of the application of these technologies toward a work of art. I also have enjoyed meeting and working with the other participating artists. I’m excited to see the finished pieces all in one room and to get feedback from the people experiencing both the LA and Dallas shows.

Looking beyond the project, what do you have coming up in the near future art-wise? Do you have any shows planned or projects planned?

I am currently looking for new studio space to create a large piece which will take at least a year to complete. Stay tuned!

How can people interested in your work get in touch with you?

website~ http://ezellsculpture.com/
email~ heather@ezellsculpture.com
twitter~ twitter.com/ezellsculpture

Any final thoughts on the Rapid Artists Project?

Looking forward to the next one!

Here is Heather’s preliminary sketch for the project piece:

Technical Specs My piece will utilize metal with a shiny surface to illustrate “newness”. The size is approximately 24” x 16” x 20”.

Statement A “pile of leaves” representing the collection of new leaves turned over in a lifetime. Entitled “A New Leaf”, much like this new creative process/medium called FreeForm, it is a revolution within oneself; bringing to the light unseen sides of ourselves while turning attention away from worn paths. How many leaves have we gathered? One for every turn of the calendar? One for each shiny relationship? And no matter the form each is certainly more beautiful than the last. Were all in a pile would we prefer simply to run, jump and land with a giggle amidst our changes? And in doing so recalling the thrill and awe of the moment we first discovered ourselves; beautiful and ever changing.