Designers have always adopted the latest technology for modelling their work. But in the case of 3D printing, or rapid prototyping, the technology has become the work itself.
A new exhibition at London’s Aram Gallery - titled ’Send to Print/Print to Send’ - features a collection of items by creatives who have used this cutting-edge technology not only as a means to an end, but to produce finished works of art.
The versatility of the technique - which uses nylon in lieu of ink, then layers it into a pre-programmed 3D form - speaks for itself in the exhibition. Jeweller Silvia Weidenbach teases the polymer into a substitute for ivory to produce intricate bracelets. And British design studio PearsonLloyd fashions it into furniture durable enough to support a person’s weight.
Other highlights in the show include the geometric forms of Assa Ashuach’s lighting products and the complex series of rings produced by Wallpaper* Handmade collaborator Freedom of Creation.
