Digital technology and craft may seem opposite on the surface, noted Marilyn Zapf, assistant director of The Center for Craft, Creativity and Design.
But she’s noticed that even artists who identify as traditional craftspeople accept 3D printing as a viable, legitimate way to create. “I’ve heard from craft people who understand that 3D printing is a tool and for some reason there is not this hesitancy this resistance that you would have seen 8 or 10 years ago,” Zapf said. They view it “as just another tool in my workshop these days.”
The latest show at The Center for Craft, Creativity and Design on Broadway spurred these conversations because it looks at the intersection of technology and sculptural and functional objects.
“Ctrl + P” features work by several contemporary artists who use open-source programs and 3D printers to conceptualize and create in revolutionary ways. This exhibition was curated by Anna Walker and organized by Houston Center for Contemporary Craft.
Artists include: Piotr Chizinski, Bryan Czibez, Meg Drinkwater, Erin Gardner, Arthur Hash, Dylan McManus, Ryder Richards, Stacy Jo Scott, Shawn Spangler, and Jonathan Whitfill.
“By sourcing their designs from online creative commons, the artists featured in ‘Ctrl + P’ question issues of shared authorship, decentralization of labor, and the possibility of making entire industries available to the individual,” she said in a press release. “Given that the late 20th century, in many ways, emphasized and celebrated the role of the individual maker, ‘Ctrl + P’ explores how these technologies will contribute to the widespread embrace of communal authorship in the future.”
Related programming includes:
“The Materiality of Sound: What Can Craft Learn from the Sound Industry?” A conversation with Negativland co-founder Mark Hosler 6 p.m. May 29.
“The Revolution is Now.” Walker discusses the potential of 3D printing for artistic production tomorrow with the visionaries for 3D printing in North Carolina today, including MoJo Coworking, Center for Design Innovation (in Winston-Salem) and artist Ryan Buyssens. 6 p.m. Aug. 14.
3D Printing Week drop-in to watch 3D printing in action. Noon-2 p.m. Aug. 12-16.
The exhibition, reception, and related programming are free and open to the public, with viewing hours from 10-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. The exhibit is up through Aug. 23. For more information, visit craftcreativitydesign.org.
By Carol Motsinger | May 25, 2014
