CANDIDATE: G.J. Hempson STUDENT NUMBER : n6539742 FACULTY: Science and Engineering SCHOOL/RESEARCH CONCENTRAITION: Computer Human Interaction TITLE: The naturally imperfect form: Investigations of the application of digital sculpting methods - extracted art: incorporating and translating ‘found art’ into the medium of digital sculpture. Masters by Research Submission November 2012 1 STATEMENT OF ORIGINAL AUTHORSHIP The work contained in this dissertation has not been previously submitted to meet requirements for an award at this or any other higher education institution. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the dissertation contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made. Signature: Date: 12/11/2012 2 ABSTRACT This dissertation analyses how physical objects are translated into digital artworks using techniques which can lead to ‘imperfections’ in the resulting digital artwork that are typically removed to arrive at a ‘perfect’ final representation. The dissertation discusses the adaptation of existing techniques into an artistic workflow that acknowledges and incorporates the imperfections of translation into the final pieces. It presents an exploration of the relationship between physical and digital artefacts and the processes used to move between the two. The work explores the 'craft' of digital sculpting and the technology used in producing what the artist terms ‘a naturally imperfect form’, incorporating knowledge of traditional sculpture, an understanding of anatomy and an interest in the study of bones (Osteology). The outcomes of the research are presented as a series of digital sculptural works, exhibited as a collection of curiosities in multiple mediums, including interactive game spaces, augmented reality (AR), rapid prototype prints (RP) and video displays. 3 CONTENTS Abstract .................................................................................................................................................................. 3 Contents ................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Chapter 1: ............................................................................................................................................................... 7 1.0 Introduction. ................................................................................................................................................ 7 1.1. Perspectives on sculpture. .......................................................................................................................... 9 1.1.1 Definitions of sculpture ...................................................................................................................... 10 1.1.2 Sculpture as an expressive medium. .................................................................................................. 11 1.1.3 The medium ....................................................................................................................................... 13 1.2 Digital sculpture ......................................................................................................................................... 15 1.2.2 History of Digital sculpture ................................................................................................................. 15 1.2.3 Making digital sculpture ..................................................................................................................... 17 1.2.4 Imperfections of the natural .............................................................................................................. 21 1.3 Artistic Influences. ..................................................................................................................................... 23 1.3.1 Bones, The naturally imperfect form. ................................................................................................ 23 1.3.2 Bones as Art: Interactive .................................................................................................................... 24 1.3.3 Bones as Art: Technology incorporating Scanning and Rapid prototyping. ....................................... 26 1.3.4 Bones as Art: Artists who mix their forms (elements): ...................................................................... 30 1.3.5 Virtual readymades: ........................................................................................................................... 32 Chapter 2: ............................................................................................................................................................. 34 2.1 Methodology – Practice Based Research ................................................................................................... 34 2.2 Artistic Practice .......................................................................................................................................... 36 2.2.1Method ............................................................................................................................................... 36 2.2.2 Western ideals of perfection. ............................................................................................................. 38 2.2.3 CG Practice ......................................................................................................................................... 38 2.2.4 Conceptual Process as practice .......................................................................................................... 41 2.2.5Motivations for artistic practice .......................................................................................................... 42 4 2.2.6 Seeing and sourcing material ............................................................................................................. 46 2.3 Craft ........................................................................................................................................................... 49 2.3.1 Abandoned experiments in the craft of sculpture ............................................................................. 49 Chapter 3: ............................................................................................................................................................. 51 3.1 Processes. .................................................................................................................................................. 51 3.1.1 Developing the Technical Processes. ................................................................................................. 51 3.1.2 Physical objects into mesh. ................................................................................................................ 53 3.1.3 Photogrammetry ................................................................................................................................ 56 3.2. Sourcing Capturing, Converting and Cleaning 3D material. ...................................................................... 57 3.3 New Methods: Combining Polygon and Voxel Sculpting. .......................................................................... 62 3.3.1 Polygonal (traditional) and Voxel (volumetric) sculpting comparison: .............................................. 66 3.3.2 Blocking [reconstructing] and Refining the sculpt ............................................................................. 68 3.4 Display ........................................................................................................................................................ 69 3.4.1 Re- display Interactive: game space ................................................................................................... 69 3.4.2 Re- display Interactive: AR (Suplemental display) .............................................................................. 74 3.4.3 Re-display: Rapid Prototype print ...................................................................................................... 77 3.4.4 Re- display Screen Based: Video/web/animation .............................................................................. 82 Chapter 4: ............................................................................................................................................................. 85 4.1 Art vs. Process ............................................................................................................................................ 85 4.1.1 Continuing practice. ................................................................................................................................ 85 4.2 The Perfect vs. Imperfect sculptural form. ................................................................................................ 87 4.3 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................. 89 References ............................................................................................................................................................ 90 Appendix A: List of works. .................................................................................................................................... 94 Rapid Prototype Pieces: (physical 3D prints) ..................................................................................................