< CROSS SECTIONAL ENLARGEMENT
DIGITAL ENLARGEMENT
With the advent of high speed computer processing and advanced programming, the ability to translate complex three dimensional objects into digital information has become increasingly realistic. Using techniques such as STEREOPHOTOGRAPHY and 3D MAPPING (common in RAPID PROTOTYPING), scale maquettes can be ‘converted’ into binary code, then digitally manipulated in any number of ways – including enlargement, reduction and distortion. Digital processing has the advantage of offering mathematical accuracy, so provided the input data is complete and uncorrupted, the output information will, theoretically, be devoid of miscalculation [ref 1].
Sculptures and designs numerically scaled by these methods can be partially, or even wholly reconstructed by a computer aided manufacturing process. Flat profiles for fabrication can be cut by laser for example, and three dimensional designs can be machined using CNC milling equipment capable of translating mathematical data into multi-axis tooling travel. Specialist process machinery is even capable of creating a wax image direct from digital data. This is done by depositing sequential droplets of plasicised wax through a computer controlled stylus, rather like a 3D ink-jet printer. Whilst bypassing the need even for a reproduction mould, the wax depositing process is somewhat time consuming (up to two days to complete a life scale hollow human head), and expensive (with a basic equipment outlay upwards of $A90,000).
Although this level of advanced technology enables artist’s models to be scaled with relative ease and beyond manual levels of accuracy, there are a number of practical drawbacks. Given the immense amount of information and processing required to accurately plot multiple points in space (in comparison to images generated for two dimensional work), much of the design work done with 3D mapping and computer modelling is invariably at the cutting edge of engineering and architectural design - Frank O Gehry’s design for the Guggenheim Museum (Bilbao, Spain), would have never been realised in it’s existing form without the aid of advanced 3D CATIA programming, which was originally developed for aerospace modelling [ref 2]. The programme's value to sculptors was underlined when Richard Serra later consulted Gehry's team whilst planning the 'Torqued Ellipses' series of Cor-Ten steel sculptures [ref 3 ].
Needless to say cutting edge technology also often means cutting edge costs, though expense usually diminishes as suitable programmes and hardware become more commonplace. On a more practical level, digital data is only of real use if it can be processed by an equally accurate manufacturing process. Again machine time on computer driven tooling is generally expensive. Costs are especially high for making patterns of any significant size, and some design forms are quite simply unsuitable for scaling by digital procedures. Much of the pattern work produced by these methods at present is destined for use as jewellery or engineering design.
For many artists there is something emotionally cold associated with the artificial processing of creative imagery. Perhaps more critically, digital processing does not intuitively adapt to changing conditions and developing ideas as work progresses – any errors in the original model are therefore not only reproduced in any copy, but can even become visually exaggerated. There is no doubt that in the future computing will play an increasing role in the production of sculpture and other three dimensional design work, already a major public artwork in Britain, Anthony Gormley’s ‘Angel of the North’ (installed in Gateshead 1998), was developed in part with the aid of digital processing – though even in this example, a traditionally produced metal cast was used as an intermediate working scale model [ref 4 ].
PATTERNS - A SUMMARY >
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