This video (link to YouTube) shows how British sculptor Guy Reid (b. 1963) uses photographs shot at different angles to find the silhouettes of his sitting model. He cuts the shape out of wood with a band saw. Then he refines the 3D form with wood carving tools.
The video itself is remarkable for the way it eschews voiceover and music, letting the visuals explain the process instead.
Stunning. I was somehow relieved to see that the 8 minutes of film represented 8 weeks of work. It's such a painstaking process, no room for error. I was struck by how this method allows for no "working back and forth" the way much painting does - which is one thing that I enjoy and find so rewarding about painting. He simply cannot remove more than is necessary. (At least I saw no way for him to correct such an error.)
ReplyDeleteThat was amazing to watch. I was so hoping he'd stain the wood, to bring out the grain of the wood... but it looked very realistic painted.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many people out there, watching this video on their computers or phones, will ask, "Why doesn't this guy just make a 3D laser scanner a 3D printer to generate this sculpture? It would be faster and more accurate."
ReplyDeleteTo be clear, I don't ask that question.
ReplyDeleteJim, I took your rhetorical question in the way I believe it was intended. I think it goes to the heart of why we choose the methods we do. Do we want the most efficient path to the end result, or one where we work with our hands and struggle with the limitations of the materials? I think Marc Taro Holmes brought out this issue in the earlier post about Painting in an Age of Apps.
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