Deskriptiv's eye-catching 3D printed geometric sculptures

Jan.21, 2014

German studio Deskriptiv, composed of Christoph Bader and Dominik Kolb, choose 3D printing to detail features of their design. The duo collaborate on a number of visual projects which combines design and computer science to produce complex shapes.

They describe their impetus for their work:

"Processes that give rise to forms are at the heart of our artistic work. We work on the interface of computer science and design and combine both disciplines. In this area of conflict to find new processes to deal with it, to analyze it and graphically prepare, that's what fascinates us and drives. The formation processes, we define purely digitally with the help of our main working tool, the computer."

Instead of concerning about the outcome or the final product the designers focus on the process which generates the final result. And through these processes, which is offer called generative or procedural design, the artists could generate theoretically infinitely many outcomes.

Generative Design mostly employs ways to encode processes. These are often programs, algorithms, procedures or any way to encode rules or step by step recipes. However evaluating these processes is done by a computer. After the process is encoded the generative designer surfaces parameters which can be used to vary the process and the way it is evaluated. By modifying these parameters she or he can create new designs which emerge from the process. By inspecting the outcomes and varying the process and again re-encoding it the generative designer is improving the process and maybe as such the final outcomes.

Deskriptiv uses 3D printers to bring their work to life. 3D printing allows them to produce the shapes which would otherwise be impossible to create through converntional manufacturing. Their artwork are printed using Polyamide in a fine resolution of 0.7 millimeters via laser sintering. You can find their projects and the eye-catching work here. As 3D printing technology continues to evolve, it will be interesting to watch how Deskriptiv's work develops and how crazy their design would be.