man vs. machine

[Herb Bunburry]

Hello -
I'm new to this site. I have a question. I hope that I am not being reduntant and asking about something that has already been covered extensively before my joining.
I am a portrait sculptor. I work in a highly realistic, classical manner. Have been proffessional for about a year. I'm working on my 3rd commission. I'm very concerned that 3d scanning and rapid prototyping will soon erase the need for traditional representational sculptors. I know that a scan will never capture the "artistry" that a human soul and hands can, but am worried that a lot of potential clients won't care about that and will be eager to have a bust done in cold cast marble or what have you that can be produced in a day and sold for $500 or so.
I'm also wondering if, to stay competive in the marketplace, any portrait sculptors out there are considering or have already bought digital equipment.
I am hoping that there will always be a place for traditional clay portrait sculpture but wonder if I'm holding on to a fantasy and considering devoting the second chapter of my life to a career that is dissappearing.
Your comments would be very much appreciated.

[fritchie]

Hello -
I'm new to this site. I have a question.

I am a portrait sculptor. I work in a highly realistic, classical manner. Have been proffessional for about a year. I'm working on my 3rd commission. I'm very concerned that 3d scanning and rapid prototyping will soon erase the need for traditional representational sculptors. I know that a scan will never capture the "artistry"
Etc.
Your comments would be very much appreciated.

A bit over a hundred years ago, people thought the camera might replace painting, but it hasn’t. In fact, several of the French Impressionists, and later Americans like Thomas Eakins, used the camera as a tool for painting. I expect the same will be true for sculpture. As you say, interpretation is the essential difference.

[novabelgica]

Real art lovers will always appreciate an artist's touch. They will choose something man-made over anything machine-made every time. I personaly don't think you're going to lose any potential clients. Those that buy a 'cheap' machine-made portrait sculpture probably never would have asked YOU to make a portrait sculpture in the first place. They don't understand the craftsmanship and amount of work that goes into this. They are not your potential customers.

These days, in the art world, most people go for cheap reproductions, but those that really love art, will buy a unique painting or sculpture.

[sculptor]

Nova: ..."real art lovers....." did you mean, both of 'em?

Seriously, portrait sculptors will lose a lot of business to cameras, cnc machines and the next generations of machines from man's crative mind,
including hose sculptors who work to create photorealistic sculpture/statues. I showed at the INLA this winter and met the victory garden guy---Roger Swain----he said a lot of nice words about my art, then told me how they had made a bust of him from dozens of photographs, a computer and lots of copies at the touch of a button. (I thought---well, there goes a potential bit of income) (almost want to "take off the wooden shoes and throw 'em into the machine")(---wooden shoe= sabot)
One day soon we'll be able to scan in a human, plug in an age changing computer program, and get a good likeness of the subject at any chosen age---EG: have myself(old fat balding and wrinkled) morphed into a full figure portrait/statue of myself young strong handsome and 22---and morph that to the heroic---bigger muscles, smaller nose, more handsome-----
We already lose to the cast from life folks, and they lose to programers and cnc machines. 9and as/re pix posted by Fritchie----computers no longer need to copy a real human)
Not long ago, if you had an enlargement done from macquette, you'd hire pointers who would point up an enlargement for you---or do it yourself---now: I could have my swimmer blown up from 2 feet to 20 feet long and cast/carved in carvable foam---for a few $thousand-via a laser scan of the resin macquette and marvelous miracle machines of our time-
If we chose to do figurative sculpture we make a decision to live an arcane life---maybe it is an honoring of the art and culture which spawned us---maybe, we're just nuts.
EG: Duane Hanson---cast from life---became famous,is broadly considered a sculptor(though I disagree) and had a much more lucrative career.---But I do not consider casting from life to be the art of sculpture...Though, it does proclaim a mastery of the craft of mold making and casting, and seems to work well financially.

I do not do the art for any other reason than that I love helping the creations come into being, and then enjoy the public response to them, though I do try to make a living from it/them.
I feel that I am following in the footsteps of, and honoring my cultural heroes with dignity and hard work. I honor those who chose the same path.....kind of makes me a tad narrow minded and maybe a bit arrogant?

Herb-------for the money and craft; get the latest best newest machine help available---no sane carpenter would refuse to use a power saw.
--------
-------for the art---follow your heart


rod

[jwebb]

When I was in school a student approached the professor with the idea of creating a body mold of a willing nubile young lady, using the (then) newest technology, and whipping out life-like bronzes, similar to the life-like John Waynes which were then selling for about $10K a pop. The prof. just smiled and said, "That's very feasible. But it's Taxidermy, not Sculpture".

[JAZ]

When I was in school a student approached the professor with the idea of creating a body mold of a willing nubile young lady, using the (then) newest technology, and whipping out life-like bronzes, similar to the life-like John Waynes which were then selling for about $10K a pop. The prof. just smiled and said, "That's very feasible. But it's Taxidermy, not Sculpture".
That's a great quote.

[JAZ]

Just so you won't think that knocking off multiples is limited to figurative work, I know a guy who fabricates abstract sculptures, then when he gets some interest in one, he makes more of the same. He keeps his prices low and just cranks them out. Bizarre. Seems to me that's not art, it's manufacturing...though come to think of it, an assembly line would make them even cheaper to produce, wouldn't it?
I agree with the rest who feel that one of the things that separates art from everything else is that each piece is unique (okay, having limited editions of bronzes works too). As far as the machine made aspect, there should be some room for work that relies on found objects, is cast for the artist by someone else, and so on.

[JAZ]

Oh, and welcome to the group, Herb (aka Sam?). There are lots of figurative sculptors here for you to share ideas with and lots of abstract or other sculptors to keep things balanced.

[ALH]

You’re not alone in being interested in these new technologies and what they mean for artists.

It's forced me to think hard about what it is I do and why I am doing it and that's not a bad thing.

[rjustin]

just a thought for jaz and his sculpture friend that will mass produce a peice when it is well liked. yea part of me once might have said that is not really art but now for we it comes down to a question why am i doing this, and the answer usually is because i love to.

As long as that sculpure is doing what he loves i have no problem with that and i don't think i would go as far as saying that what he is doing is not art. this is a hard buisness and everyone has to find their own way to make it in it.

rjustin
www.rjustin.com