3D Printing is "all the rage" this season.
As a part of the 3D Printing team this semester, paired with the Art Institute of Chicago, it is my team's job to benchmark and learn more about the potential of this technology.
I may have mentioned before that I didn't really understand the overall purpose of 3D printing (as in, why did my alma mater randomly decide to invest in one?).
Reading an article on NPR this morning, I at first saw nothing new. The title of the piece, 3-D Printing A Master Work For Your Living Room, did not seem promising. However, the author steps in and redeems herself at the last minute. By making "patterns" of artwork available online (in this case, detailed images of sculptures, an individual (anywhere!) with access to a 3D printer can make sculptures available for viewing no matter the locale. This raises potential for distance learning. Experiencing an object in 3D is more real to life than simply looking at an image.
How much more could you get out of seeing Rodin's The Thinker or Michelangelo's David in 3D replica than you could from an image in a textbook? There is potential for a new kind of learning that one could once only get from visiting a museum- something that is not always possible for the average Jean, Jill, or Joe.
How could this form of learning experience be used in other ways, outside of art?
Need some patterns for your 3D experience? Check this out: http://www.thingiverse.com/
I'm so glad you're also struggling with the "all the rage" aspect of 3D printing. Mass production and accessibility are such an engrained part of certain aspects of American culture that it took me a while to find an answer to the question, "How is this any different than ordering a bunch of $1 plastic Davids online?" It's cool how you made the connection to Distance Learning too, and since that's the other groups project hopefully there will be space for a larger class discussion on how our two topics intersect.
ReplyDelete