1) Immediate Response
When first looking at this art piece, it feels ancient yet alien almost as if this could be a statue for an old civilization on another planet. I first noticed the white part of the sculpture and how it feels so disorganized with so many different patterns. There are softer curves and holes that make it feel more organic while other areas have sharper lines to make it feel artificial. The top section of the sculpture reminds me of a cell showing the different organelles that make it up. I then noticed the black base also had carvings in it looking similar to fossils found in the ground.
2) Objective Description
The sculpture has a black, square, base with many intricate carved-like shapes in it. It has a mixture of areas protruding out and carved into the block. The shapes do not look like objects found in our world but are intricate and complex with some embedded into another. On top of the block is a tall white sculpture. It has no uniform shape and like the base, the shapes are complicated with fine details unconnected to each other. The bottom of the sculpture has more repetitive patterns carved into it but becomes more warped and muddled as it rises; the top portion has labyrinthine structure with many types of shapes and structures intertwined.
3) Technical Decisions
This piece is in Michael Hansmeyer’s exhibit called Digital Grotesque III. The title of the exhibit indicates a repulsive or distorted theme with the works included. It seems to fit well with the statue provided given how chaotic and convoluted it appears. The material used to construct the sculpture was sand on a 3D printer allowing for far more intricate structures and designs compared to other mediums. The sculpture itself was designed with the help of custom machine learning algorithms giving it a non-human touch. The creation method chosen allows for such complex designs without needing to painstakingly carve it out of materials such as marble. It highlights the possible future using computers and new manufacturing techniques to create structures previously thought impossible.
4) The Work in the World
The sculpture here reminds me of baroque architecture with all of its intricate details along every surface. When looking at baroque architecture, the hard work and time put into every element feels almost impossible considering the technology of the time. Now with more advanced technology for both designing and creating structures, we can keep the small details while taking out the time and energy needed from humans. Using the machine learning algorithms, it produces designs people would have never thought of before whether it be because of its absurdity or complexity or any other reason, but it does expand the possibilities of what can be created.
5) The Story it Tells
From the name of the exhibit, Digital Grotesque III, it shows the artist knows what he’s displaying may not look necessarily appealing to the human eye given that it was designed with the help of a computer. A computer is not going to have the same biases as a person would when designing something so it freely makes structures that would be strange to anyone else. However, even though it looks distorted it has such a fine level of detail along every surface that the design and creation of it is impressive. Having the technology that can build something so complicated pushes what can be created today and in the future.