Time and freestyle piling: a subjective approach to 3D printing

ABSTRACT

This paper considers the influence of 3D printers on the temporality and subjectivity of making by looking at current 3D printing processes through the concept of ‘duration’ that was theorized by the philosopher Henri Bergson. The discussion is contextualized within technological developments at the turn of the twentieth century—specifically, European railways—that changed our perception of time. The foundational ideas of duration are introduced as a response to these developments. The contemporary technological concept of ‘real-time computing’ is presented to contrast with duration and set up an in-depth explanation of the delays inherent to the 3D printing process. These delays are discussed within the discourse of 3D printing and technological innovation, in general. Current maker-3D printer interactions are then critiqued. Finally, an alternative method of 3D printing concrete that is founded on working with its inherent delays is introduced, along with its implications for digital making and the act of making time.

KEYWORDS:

• 3D printing
• time
• materiality
• craft
• subjectivity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Zach Cohen is currently a Research Specialist in the Self-Assembly Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an Adjunct Lecturer in the Department of Architecture at the Wentworth Institute of Technology. He is also the co-founder and principal of the New York City-based architectural design practice commoncraft.

Notes

1 For more information on the technical aspects of the concrete 3D printing system, see Cohen (2018).

2 I recognize that the current use of seconds to count intervals is inconsistent with the overall rejection of time as a quantified thing. Future research will aim to develop tactile interfaces that can create durational inputs through physical interaction, for example, an accelerator pedal or a drum pad.

3 This process is deliberately designed to resemble the drip painting of Jackson Pollock, which also intertwined material intuition with human improvization.

4 3D printing is also called ‘additive manufacturing.’

5 In 2012, the contemporary artist Anish Kapoor exhibited 3D printed cement sculptures at the Gladstone Gallery in New York. At first glance, Kapoor’s sculptures bear an undeniable resemblance to freestyled piles; one viewer described them as ‘loose, stacked spirals’ (Valentine 2012). However, this description alone points to a key underlying difference between Kapoor’s printing and freestyle piling: ‘spirals’ are, by definition, made continuously, without delay. Kapoor’s stacks are, thus, mere reconfigurations of the conventionally printed line—they are about forms rather than processes. In contrast, my main interest is in developing a mutualistic process between the maker and the machine—the process is the product.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Massachusetts Institute of Technology: [Grant Number Marvin E. Goody Award].