In Search of the Impossible Ceramic Object

Developments in the area of Digital Fabrication, and particularly 3D printing bring the intriguing prospect of being able to form ceramic objects by a completely new process. David Huson and colleagues at the Centre for Fine Print Research in the Faculty of Art, Media and Design at the University of the West of England are conducting a research project into the use of Digital Fabrication techniques in the area of bespoke ceramics. One of the aims of the project is to research the possibilities, and then to develop the methodology of forming a ceramic object directly by the use of 3D printing technologies. The unique characteristics of this process mean that it is feasible to build a ceramic object that would be impossible to make by any of the conventional forming processes. This new process will allow artists and crafts persons to investigate, develop and implement ideas and concepts that were previously unattainable. Two examples of the possibilities are the production of a series of ceramic objects nested within each other and the forming of ceramic articles with complex relief and perforated surfaces.