Program of Study

The aim of my project is to explore key features of romanticism in art and mimic that in my own work in 3D visualisation. By using 3D modelling and 3D printing, I will bring the feel of historic masterpieces to a modern era.

In the art industry, new technological advances have been introduced with time. The advancement of technology has had a significant impact on the way artists create works of art. Paint brushes and sculptor’s knives have been changed to computers and digital tablets to create digital art. Digital sculpting has freed artists of the limitations of materials and tools and instead given the artist the means to create whatever they want. The term digital sculpture refers to the process of creating a 3D model organically as if it were sculpted from digital clay by the artist. The process combines computer-aided artistic creation, three-dimensional modelling and traditional easel carving to create art. (Yang, 2022) 

The technology of 3D printing developed alongside digital sculpting. With the advancement of society and the speed with which it moves forward, traditional sculpture-making has gradually faded away from the public’s view. With 3D printing, this traditional method could be brought back. 

According to Jingxue Yu (2020), a lot of sculptors have discovered that 3D technology has a great deal of application value in sculpture. By combining these modern technologies with traditional artistic techniques, a sculpture, an important part of our history that slowly fades out of people’s vision, could become part of everyday life once again. In the article, Yu discusses the problems of 3D printing, mentioning the accuracy of the sculptures produced by the 3D printing technology as well as the material limitations. He proposes technical solutions to these problems but closes his study by stating that even with these solutions the 3D-printed sculpture still cannot fully be compared with sculptures made by traditional craftsmen. Yu proposes that by this method we cannot make meaningful crafts that can be spread in the world. (Yu, 2020) The same issue can be seen in another article, where 3D printing is seen more as a tool for preserving cultural heritage and making prototypes, rather than the medium to create art itself. (Sargentis et al., 2022) 

My aim is to try to prove this statement wrong, and to create a successful romantic sculpture through 3D modelling and 3D printing. By researching the key elements of what made the romantic era masterpieces so successful, I will implement these to my 3D visualisations and my 3D printed sculpture and try to convey the meaningful stories that traditionally crafted art is known to be capable to deliver. There is a potential for artistic value in 3D printing, as well as there is in a traditional way of making art. 

My research methods include observations of romantic and modern art, both paintings and sculpture, looking for inspiration from modern-day 3D artists like Yuuki Morita, Kevin Muljadi and Sarper Baran, as well as romantic era artists like Caspar David Friedrich, Thomas Cole, and John Waterhouse, reading related articles, books, and journals, watching videos and movies, visiting art galleries online and in person as well as talking to relevant people in Fine Art department and 3D support staff. For my practical research, I will be doing lots of technical studies in 3D, as well as drawings, sketches, and observational studies. 

The result of my research will be a set of 3D visualisation character portraits with moving elements and a 3D printed sculpture. The set aims to convey the feeling of a romantic story to the viewer and to be seen as a piece of meaningful art on its own, regardless of the tools that were used to create it. The set of 3D digital portraits and the 3D printed sculpture will be presented in the master’s Degree Show 2023.

References

Sargentis, G.-F. et al. (2022) “3D scanning/printing: A technological stride in sculpture,” Technologies, 10(1), p. 9. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies10010009. (Accessed October 28, 2022)

Yang, Z. (2022) “Application and development of digital enhancement of traditional sculpture art,” Scientific Programming, 2022, pp. 1–8. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/9095577. (Accessed November 2, 2022)

Yu, J. (2020) “The application of 3D printing technology in sculpture,” Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, pp. 755–759. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62746-1_115. (Accessed October 28, 2022)

Theme

The theme of the series will be based on Finnish folklore and myths. In the past, Finnish mythology and ancient religion have always been closely intertwined. Often, it is difficult to distinguish between mythical belief and religious belief. This is because the country’s rock paintings reveal the story of how mythology was recorded in Finland thousands of years ago. It is common for mythological poems and stories to be composed about historical individuals and events, such as the blacksmiths Ilmarinen and Väinämöinen from the Kalevala. The same types of poems and stories have also been written about historical figures and events. In mythical stories, nature is always present. Lakes and trees are believed to have their own spirits and elves. In ancient times, gods were therefore associated with a particular element of nature.

A number of Finnish rock paintings depict Finnish mythology and its stories. The red clay marks, patterns, and drawings have deteriorated more rapidly than other paintings due to shifting boulders and rocks. They were produced during the Neolithic Stone Age and the Bronze Age on shifting boulders and rocks. In addition to the influence these prehistoric paintings have had on Finnish folklore, the majority of rock paintings have been located near the lakes Saimaa and Päijänte in Finland. The largest painting fields have been found in Mikkeli, Suomussalmi and Laukaa.

The rock art depicts prey animals, boats, and various symbols, in addition to people, as well as symbols. These images are believed to be connected to a variety of religious beliefs and rituals. They are believed to represent life and death. Death is depicted in the paintings as the loss of an eye or limb. The paintings are not works of art, but rather depict the lives of individuals throughout history. (Folklore Suomi Finland, Suomalainen Mytologia Ja Siihen liittyviä uskomuksia 2021)

Possible 3D character portraits could be some of the gods and goddesses found in the Finnish folklore like the ones above. An interesting collection of the mythological characters can be found from the Finnish Mythology and Folklore: Gods, Animals, Monsters, Creatures by Tiina Porthan. Artwork by Tero Porthan.

Schedule

The schedule for the project as follows: