When Paintings are Easily Reproduced: Hrag Vartanian writing at hyperallergic.com on the issues about to be unleashed in the art world by affordable, high quality 3D printers:
“So far, the debate about artistic copyright has been safely in the realm of design and photography … . but how will that conversation change when anything can be easily reproduced and presented without proof of origin or even the original artist’s touch? … . A copyright lawyer by day, Steiner bought a glob-erific clown painting by Allison Schulnk … He then proceeded to have a replica of the work fabricated on a ZPrinter 650 3D printer. The result is a quite good monochromatic reproduction of the painting that is full of the brushstrokes and textures that until recently we thought we couldn’t so easily reproduce. Looking at the potential in this art work, I realized it was only a matter of time (months?) before paintings with their grooves and quirks could be churned out at will.”
photo of artwork at Palm Springs Art Museum © 2012 j.r.mchale
Wired: In the Next Industrial Revolution, Atoms are the New Bits
Wired: In the Next Industrial Revolution, Atoms are the New Bits
“The tools of factory production, from electronics assembly to 3-D printing, are now available to individuals, in batches as small as a single unit. Anybody with an idea and a little expertise can set assembly lines in China into motion with nothing more than some keystrokes on their laptop. A few days later, a prototype will be at their door, and once it all checks out, they can push a few more buttons and be in full production, making hundreds, thousands, or more. They can become a virtual micro-factory, able to design and sell goods without any infrastructure or even inventory; products can be assembled and drop-shipped by contractors who serve hundreds of such customers simultaneously.”