Untitled. An Artwork Exploring Aesthetics, New Possibilities and Unique Features of Digital Fabrication.
What does it do?
I created an artwork which aims to explore aesthetics, new possibilities and unique features of digital fabrication. The installation is inspired by a day at a dutch beach and consists of two wall mounted light objects and two uniform asymmetrical waves. It has no function or use but adapted to ambient light, the light objects shine. The darker it is, the brighter the objects glow.
Who's done what beforehand?
Please see my propasal of a final project.
What did I design?
I created an installation consisting of two uniform asymmetrical waves and two light objects. I designed:
- a wooden structure forming an asymmetrical wave based on flexures and a press-fit construction system
- a graphic based on the wave’s straight lines and arcs (a digital color print laminated on the wave's top)
- two 3D-objects integrating an automated light system based on a press-fit construction system
- 2 microcontroller boards with external power supply, LEDs and phototransistors onboard or connected
What materials and components were used?
- 4 mm wood
- digital color print
- PLA pearl white filament
- Red/yellow colored Smooth Cast 300/310
- PCBs w/
- ATtiny44
- phototransistor
- LEDs
- Resistors, capacitors, regulator, battery et al.
Where did they come from?
Electronics, filament and casting material came from the fab lab. I bought wood and spent money on the digital color prints.
How much did they cost?
Wood costed € 33. The digital color print costed € 40.
What parts and systems were made?
- a wooden structure forming an asymmetrical wave
- a printed digital graphic
- two 3D-printed objects
- a wax mold, a soft mold and 1 mm thin casted parts (umbrellas)
- 2 microcontroller boards w/ input and output devices
What processes were used?
- Research and creation
- 2D and 3D design using Inkscape and Rhinoceros
- Designing electronics with Eagle
- Producing electronics, machining PCBs with a Roland Modela, soldering and debugging
- Designing a 3D mold, machining a wax mold with a ShopBot
- Molding and casting, soft mold and parts
- Designing a 3D object made of wood, a press-fit construction system, cut with a LaserPro Spirit GE
- Designing 3D objects, press-fit construction systems, printed with an Ultimaker
- Embedded programming using Arduino
What questions were answered?
I had no special questions but I would like to explore the subject and answer how digitally fabricated art influence our perception, cognition and feelings.
How was it evaluated?
I made prototypes. I would like to improve the fabrication quality. Furthermore, it was just a start and I would like to continue this work and experiment more.
What are the implications?
I would like to go on exploring aesthetics, new possibilities and unique features of digital fabrication within art. I thought of a bigger installation consisting of several bigger and smaller objects interrelating and reacting.
Please see the project development page for detailed information and resources.