April 29, 2013
Long ago we wrote letters by hand, then we used typewriters. Today we text each other using digital tools. Artist Bill Westheimer thinks that man continues to evolve, transforming into unknown future creatures more able to thrive in today's digital world.
Westheimer's newest project, called Ascent, explores this evolution from today's analog man to tomorrow's digital man, revealing who we are about to become.
The Ascent project uses historic analog photographic processes and cutting edge 3D modeling and 3D printing technologies to create 3D sculptures.
The human hand is captured as a series of thirty six 2D photograms created at 10 degree intervals as the hand is rotated. Those photogram shadows of the hand are digitized and then converted into a 3D digital model. That digital model is output using rapid prototyping technology. The resulting resin sculpture of a hand is one evolutionary step away from the original hand to a digital hand.
This rapid prototype sculpture of the evolved hand is then used to create 36 more analog 2D photograms, which are scanned, then synthesized into a new digital 3D model, and again output as a rapid prototype The new sculpture has progressed one more step on the evolutionary path to digital man. Ascent includes 5 steps of evolution to show the transformation from an organic hand to the future digital creature.
The final Ascent project will include an original bronze casting of analog man hand, twenty 10" translucent plastic sculptures mounted on marble bases, 180 black and white photograms with frames.
Westheimer launched Ascent project on Kickstarter. For $25 you can receive an Ascent mini-sculpture of your choice (60mm = 2.375" tall). Plus an Ascent Project digital image showing the evolution from analog to digital. Check out the details here.
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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