Immediate Response:
My initial thought was whether the teapot itself was a rendered model or a physical piece. After reading the description for the work, I found out that it was modeled first in Rhino, created with a 3D printer, and then cast after that. I also wondered about the reasoning for creating seemingly such a simple object and what inspired the artist to create this piece. I found it to be a visually pleasing teapot, however, I did not understand the underlying meaning of its purpose. Additionally, I found the piece to be a bit of a different style of work in terms of the artist’s other works.
Objective Description:
The teapot itself is a bronzed-colored metal and is sleek and subtle with its detail. Its exterior appears to be a bit rougher, with what appears to be veining from when the cast was being poured, but that part gives it character and a stylistic look to it. The only part that looks polished is the handle on top of the teapot which you would grab to open the lid. Overall, the piece looks like a more traditional and simple teapot however, its simpleness also gives the piece an elegant look that makes it appealing to the eye.
Technical Decisions:
The main idea that the artist was attempting to get across to the viewers is the process of creation, Frankie Flood, created first a model of this piece in Rhino, then 3D printed the piece, and lastly created a cast of the teapot from the 3D print. This whole process was supposed to display this ‘new’ style of art that he called the ‘digital craft’. The actual teapot was created before at the University of Utah and was used as an example by a professor. Flood wanted to take this teapot which only lived as a rendering and using today’s technology create a physical version to combine both new technology as well as an old craft.
The Work in the World:
The object itself being a teapot obviously relates to other types of teapots that have been created, however, this one, created as a piece of art, was made to show the dichotomy and combination of new and different types of crafts for artists. So being able to show this simple and mundane teapot as something that originally was just a model created in a program had an entire transformation process depicts the picture of change and a constantly evolving world. I think what the artist is trying to get across is the process of creating the object and less about the object itself. They want to show that there is no right way to create things and that there are always new and innovative ways to achieve a goal you want to.
The Story it Tells:
This piece while it may seem insignificant, shows the dynamics of a constantly changing society. Additionally, it makes you question the idea of what art is now and how people are able to create it in this day and age. Are there new bounds that need to be placed on what we can consider art versus not? And how does this integration of technology into the art world change how artists choose to create their pieces? This piece shows us as viewers that anything can be art, and we are able to take seemingly normal objects without meaning and give meaning to them based on the way we create them and what thought and emotion goes into our comprehension of the object.