www.3ders.org

May 13, 2016 | By Alec

Thanks to the inspiring efforts of artists around the world, 3D printing is becoming a full-fledged part of the art world. But the technology is by no means only used by young up-and-comers who want to do something completely different. As a fantastic collaboration of Eileen Borgeson and Russ Ogi shows, renowned artists are also recognizing the creative potential of 3D printing. Together, they have created the gorgeous and gold-leafed ‘Freedom of Flight’ sculptures, which push the notion of 3D printing as a fine art medium. The inspiring sculptures are currently on display at the Innovation Hangar in San Francisco.

Especially Eileen Borgeson needs no introduction. For more than three decades, she has been making high profile Art Deco sculptures and glass works of art. Her works can be found in private and corporate collections all over the world, from the John Lennon Estate, Warner Bros., Disney, Sony to Aerosmith, and have won countless awards already. She is especially keen on incorporating different mediums and materials in her work, from bronze, crystal, stainless steel, neon, and LEDs, to cutting techniques such as water jet cutting and CNC routing.

Always looking for new design possibilities, it’s hardly surprising that her path eventually crossed with Russ Ogi. A Hawaii-based mixed media artist with a background in Additive Manufacturing and 20 years of experience in the high-tech industry, he specializes in 3D printed works of art that undergo meticulous finishing techniques by hand.

This entire collaboration started with one of Borgeson’s sketches called ‘DNA’. A sculpture based on ‘DNA’ was presented to Elon Musk a few years ago and, inspired by Borgeson’s partner Jeff Allen, the 2D design was re-christened ‘Freedom of Flight’ (or just ‘Freedom’). Because of the interwoven features of the design, Borgeson spent years searching for the right art medium to bring it to life, and ‘Freedom’ became one of the most challenging sculptures she worked on. “Finally 3D Printing appeared on the art/technology scene and I saw a way to achieve all the negative spaces within the sculpture design...then we discovered Russ,” said Borgeson.

Ogi was associated with the Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems (PISCES), and they quickly began collaborating. No stranger to turning 2D images into 3D models, Ogi quickly translated Borgeson’s visions into the third dimension using Autodesk Maya 3D design software. “Every 2D design presents its own challenges. Eileen had only a single drawing. For me, the challenge wasn't how to design the interwoven forms into something that could be physically fabricated but rather envisioning a full 3D sculpture from a single 2D drawing,” Ogi recalled.

Borgeson was very happy with Ogi’s incredible work. Two different versions of ‘Freedom of Flight’ were subsequently 3D printed: a Prototype and a Pinup version. Both were done with different 3D printing technologies. The smaller Prototype is about 7 inches tall, and was 3D printed on a CubeTrio 3D printer. The larger, 10.5 inch Pinup was 3D printed on a Form 1 SLA 3D printer. Different 3D printing techniques obviously result in different processes. The Prototype was small enough to be 3D printed in a single PLA piece, and took about 14 hours to complete. The larger Pinup only took about 9 hours, but was 3D printed in two pieces in black photocure resin. A 0.5 inch black glass base was subsequently added.

But 3D printing was only half of the work. Upon completion, Ogi cleaned the prints, removed the supports and joined the sections of the Pinup model together. The Pinup took about 10 to 15 hours to clean up. Borgeson subsequently took care of the 23k gold and palladium leafing, which took about 8 to 10 hours for the Prototype, and another 15 hours for the Pinup. The latter was also handpainted. Remarkably, much of the surface of the Prototype was left the way it came out of the 3D printer.

But both are truly remarkable sculptures that defy the limits of 3D printing. Both versions of ‘Freedom’ clearly take full advantage of 3D printing’s capacity to create complex and seemingly impossible geometries, while the meticulous surface finishes are stunning. To showcase all the work that went into the sculptures, both are exhibited together. They are currently on display at the Innovation Hangar, a free, non-profit museum in the iconic Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco.

However, both artists have already said that the story of ‘Freedom of Flight’ isn’t over. Both are continuing to refine their designs and manufacturing processes, and additional versions of the sculpture will be added to the exhibition in the near future alongside educational information about the design’s growth. “Many different process were used to create the Freedoms and as the display grows, people will be able not only see the evolution of the design and hand finishing process but also understand the differences, strengths and limitations of each 3D printing process,” the artists say. ‘Freedom's’ evolution continues.

 

 

Posted in 3D Printing Application

 

 

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