3D Printing as an Artistic Medium: An Analysis of its Current Uses and Potential in Contemporary Art Practice

Imogen Fitzgerald
Trinity College Dublin
Department of History of Art and Architecture
2015
BA

Subject: Illustration and Graphic Art
Country: Ireland
Period: 20th and 21st Century

10,000 words

This thesis is an analysis of the revolutionary technology known as 3D printing as an artistic medium and an exploration of its potential in the art world. 3D printing is most commonly recognised for its medical and scientific applications. This work will feature a case study using the career and works of Joshua Harker, a pioneer in 3D printed art. Consideration will be given as to whether 3D printed works can be classified as ‘art’ as the increasing blurred line that separates art from craft. Given that 3D printing is a contemporary subject, most of the sources for the dissertation came from the Internet. Interviews with the artist Joshua Harker and Matthew Shaw of Modelworks Media London were conducted to illustrate the different functions in an artistic and a commercial environment.

Irish Georgian Society

Education Theses Register

3D Printing as an Artistic Medium: An Analysis of its Current Uses and Potential in Contemporary Art Practice