People Wood: 3D Printed Infosculpture
A unique process
Something & Son's sculpture at the Redmond Community Centre will be a world first. Working with Inition (3D experts) they are developing a stunning sculpture - a forest of 400 trees, each created by a different member of the community.
The Design
Unlike a traditional art commission Something & Son have designed a set of rules not a final object. Drawing on influences from the natural world the sculpture portrays a forest of trees, as every tree is different the forest will pick up the subtleties in different answers - a taller glade of trees where older residents live, thinning trees where community links are weakest. The sculpture will be permanently installed at The Redmond Community Centre at Woodberry Down in North-East Hackney.
Andy from Something & Son explains how the sculpture will look:
"Each tree will be ivory in colour with a texture similar to coral. Flecks of colours, chosen by participants, will endorne the ends of the tree, evoking leaves. Like a Japanese painting of blossom the colour will be bright and bold but used sparsely guiding the eye across the landscape of the sculpture. The tree's have a bold graphic shape bringing to the foreground the unique individual detail of each person's tree. The tree's will 'grow' off a wire grid in the shape of the local typography"
Innovation
From the start, the production of the artwork has been a vehicle for innovation. To our knowledge it will be the first time online data from hundred of participants has been used to create and print a 3D sculpture. In order to do it we've entered the world of software and all things digital to create a tool which can translate online survey & personal data into 3D objects at (almost) the touch of a button.
The software platform we've created offers new potential for public art to engage new audiences and increase digital and arts participation.
Paul Smyth of Something & Son's explains how the idea's are developed:
‘Like handmade art and craft, 3D Printing offers the potential to create many unique objects at lower cost than traditional techniques. Combining this with an interactive online platform we will gather responses from local people about their lives and community, with different people's answers creating different shapes. which, when printed out, will combine to form the final sculpture’.
The Design
Unlike a traditional art commission Something & Son have designed a set of rules not a final object. Drawing on influences from the natural world the sculpture portrays a forest of trees, as every tree is different the forest will pick up the subtleties in different answers - a taller glade of trees where older residents live, thinning trees where community links are weakest. The sculpture will be permanently installed at The Redmond Community Centre at Woodberry Down in North-East Hackney.
Andy from Something & Son explains how the sculpture will look:
"Each tree will be ivory in colour with a texture similar to coral. Flecks of colours, chosen by participants, will endorne the ends of the tree, evoking leaves. Like a Japanese painting of blossom the colour will be bright and bold but used sparsely guiding the eye across the landscape of the sculpture. The tree's have a bold graphic shape bringing to the foreground the unique individual detail of each person's tree. The tree's will 'grow' off a wire grid in the shape of the local typography"
Innovation
From the start, the production of the artwork has been a vehicle for innovation. To our knowledge it will be the first time online data from hundred of participants has been used to create and print a 3D sculpture. In order to do it we've entered the world of software and all things digital to create a tool which can translate online survey & personal data into 3D objects at (almost) the touch of a button.
The software platform we've created offers new potential for public art to engage new audiences and increase digital and arts participation.
Paul Smyth of Something & Son's explains how the idea's are developed:
‘Like handmade art and craft, 3D Printing offers the potential to create many unique objects at lower cost than traditional techniques. Combining this with an interactive online platform we will gather responses from local people about their lives and community, with different people's answers creating different shapes. which, when printed out, will combine to form the final sculpture’.