The Details on Digital Art Pioneer Laurence Gartel’s Creative Force Design Competition at Inside 3D Printing Santa Clara

Gartel testing the Apple II prototype.

As the man who pioneered the use of computers to create artwork, Laurence Gartel struggled for years to gain the acceptance of the art community. He was challenging what art was and what tools could be used to create it, so naturally no one knew exactly what to do with his work. In the ’80s when he began bringing his art to New York museums he would be told that he needed to talk to the video department who would send him to the drawing department who would send him to the mixed media department who would then start the entire cycle over again. However the art world finally caught up, and his work has been exhibited all over the world and appeared in national advertising campaigns. Gartel was even allowed to test the Apple II Prototype and was asked by Andy Warhol to show him how to create art using an Amiga computer.

A 3D printed statue from Gartel’s 2009 “Auto Motion” show.

Now that a whole new generation of artists are using newly developed tools and technology like 3D modelling and 3D printing it seems many of them are dealing with the same struggles. While 3D printed artwork has been featured in many reputable museums and art galleries, there is still a feeling that the art world doesn’t yet know exactly what to do with it. But thanks to the groundbreaking work of Gartel and other world famous artists like him, those who raised the barriers that held him back are far less entrenched than they used to be. Gartel himself has often used 3D printing in his own artwork, and is widely credited as one of the first major artists to incorporate 3D printing into his shows with his 3D printed Ferrari statue back in 2009 for his “Auto Motion” show.

Gartel is hosting a rather unique art competition at this year’s Inside 3D Printing Santa Clara Conference & Expo that he hopes will engage artists of all kinds. The Creative Force Design Competition will focus on entrants’ artistic sensibilities, their use of color and their mastery of 3D design and printing technology. Gartel has designed a 3D object–which he’s keeping secret for the moment–and is inviting any artists that will be coming to the show to download his file and turn it into their own art. The competition is essentially a large collaborative art project between Gartel and Inside 3D printing attendees, with the focus being on each individual artist’s reinterpretation of his 3D object.

Entrants are invited to alter, or not alter, the 3D file as they wish, and Gartel will be judging them based on their skill, artistic aesthetic and proficiency with 3D technology.

When I spoke to Gartel on the phone he was very careful to emphasize that he wants artists to do whatever they want with the file, however they want to do it. They could 3D print the object in any material, they can alter the 3D model and turn it into something entirely new, they could shrink it down or blow it up, or they could give it a creative paint job. He would even be interested in seeing an unaltered print that was masterfully and elegantly done, showing off the artist’s technical skill. Anything goes, Gartel simply wants the submitted artwork to be fabulous and unique.

As Gartel described the competition to 3DPrint.com:

CREATIVE FORCE:
The object of the Competition is that “No two printers will ever print exactly.” That is because the process is controlled by a human. People make different decisions. In this Creative Force Competition we want to shed light on what those differences may be? Choice of color, choice of size, choice of resolution, choice of machine type may all play a significant role in the final result. Participants will receive a file and we will ask the selected individuals to bring their printed results to the show. It will be a fascinating discovery.

Gartel’s Absolute Vodka ad.

If you would like to participate in the Creative Force Design Competition you can register for your Inside 3D print Santa Clara badge with the code GARTEL and send them an email to receive Gartel’s 3D file to print. If you have already registered simply email your registration information. Once you have 3D printed your artwork forward a photo of it to the Inside 3D Printing staff and they will contact you and let you know if you have been chosen to display your printed file in the Inside 3D Printing exhibit hall.

Laurence Gartel himself will be on hand judging the aesthetics of the final competition.

Inside 3D Printing Santa Clara Conference & Expo will be taking place in Santa Clara California October 20th to the 22nd, with the exhibit floor being open on the 21st to the 22nd. Myself and several other members of the 3D Print staff will be on hand to bring you the latest news announced at this years conference, and I’ll be live tweeting the entire time. We hope to see you there, and I hope to see some amazing artwork on display. And make sure that you take a look at Laurence Gartel’s website to learn more about his art and his amazing 35-year career.

Will you be attending the Inside 3D Printing Conference and Expo in Santa Clara? Remember our readers can save 20% on registration with discount code 3DPRINT. Let us know in the Inside 3DP forum thread on 3DPB.com.