The human memory is a notoriously imperfect device. What about the “memory” of a 3D printer?
“3D Printer: Self Portrait” uses mixed media of 3D-printed models and black and white photography to explore the reflexive nature of personal narrative. From David Hume’s “bundle theory” to Thomas Metzinger’s “ego tunnel,” philosophers have never been able to agree where exactly to draw the line between “reality” and “fiction” in the most important narrative of our lives: the story of our selves. “3D Printer: Self Portrait” recreates the reflexive process of self-representation and memory with the story of a 3D printer: every time a “memory” is accessed and its “story” is told, it changes.
Sculpture:
A three-dimensional model of a 3D printer is captured with a 3D scanner and that model is then printed. Then the new model is scanned and printed, then a third and so on until eight models stand in a line of diminishing likeness to the first. Each printed model will be approximately 6inx8inx10in in size.
Wall-Mounted Photographs & 3D Prints:
A black and white photograph of a 3D printer is captured digitally and then fed into a program that renders it as a thin, three-dimensional image that is 3D printed in plastic. A photograph of that print is then captured, fed into the program and printed again, then a third and so on until eight prints hang beneath eight photographs in a line of diminishing likeness to the first.
Exhibited at the 2013 Games, Learning, and Society Art Show in Madison, Wisconsin:
Artist Bio
Libby Falck is a writer, filmmaker and new media artist passionate about exploring new ways to combine interactivity and narrative. She strives to create experiences that help viewers question their assumptions about technology and what it means to be human in a world of exponential change.