If We Use Technology Can It Still Be Called Fine Art?
This month I was invited to the National Sculpture Society conference to talk and share about my new book 3D Technology in Fine Art and Craft: Exploring 3D Printing, Scanning, Sculpting and Milling
I was not sure what I should expect. I’ll post more about the question and comments later, but I thought I would share two pages from my book in which other artists have expressed my opinion much better than I. I’m delighted that the incredible work of Erwin Hauer is in my book. I originally had seen this quote at SIGGRAPH many years ago and new I had to use it in the book. Erwin’s work is being brought back to life by the use of technology. The other quote is from Sophie Kahn. One of the questions asked of the panel is if you scan someone and 3D print them is it still called art? Sophie’s quote from the Gugenheim Museum conference on art and scanning seems to tell it perfectly. Some people also commented about Barry X Ball’s work and so I’m including that page as well.
The other quote I used was originally from an article by Christiane Paul called Fluid Borders and was said by Keith Brown. “Art should, in any case, transcend the medium. Technique always has been and probably always will be confused with art. ” ( Page 44 of 3D Technology in Fine Art and Craft… chapter A World Turned Upside Down.)
The book is available for preorder and comes out in Sept.The publisher is Focal Press.
So, I’ll pose the question to you… If you use a computer in your process can you still call it fine art?
Alice Project- How it Began – Getting Ready to Jump Down The Rabbit Hole
In 2011, I was contacted by Amy Freeman of Freeman Design Associates who was working with Jerry Rubenstein on signage for the newly named Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center. The Rubensteins were looking for an artist to create a bronze sculpture of their mother for the Jewish Community Center. If you are interested, I documented the creation of Evelyn on a website blog. The Rubensteins and Amy came to my studio, and we all hit it off. At this time, the Rubensteins were also talking about a possible second sculpture of Evelyn for a park. My focus was on the sculpture for the Jewish Community Center, but I was curious about this mention of a sculpture for a park.
Over the many visits to my studio, Jerry and Linda would share artwork and artists that they discovered, I assumed they were ideas for the park. One such piece was the Alice In Wonderland sculpture in central park. Over the years, I have received numerous photographs from the Rubensteins of this sculpture, but I have yet to see it for myself. My wheels began to turn about Alice. I was delighted to find that the story and illustrations were in the public domain, I was even more delighted to find that the story would be celebrating 150 years in 2015. I immediately purchased an The Annotated Alice,Diliberto Photo and Design helped. We had so much fun searching for all of these elements and putting them together in this very classy package.
presented it along with the book to my client. Securing a great commission
like this take a lot of time and finesse.
I have sculpted quite a few deceased loved ones. It is my specialty, and I develop a certain connection to the loved ones. Last year the Texas Country Reporter came out and created a wonderful segment on this part of my artwork. You can see it on this YouTube video. You could say when doing this type of artwork…I develop a relationship with the deceased, and though I had never known Evelyn, I became friends with her as I created the sculpture for the Jewish Community Center.
sizes. 1. digital sketch for client to get the feel for my idea.
2. Digital sketch enlarging characters 3. The clay sculpted
maquettes added to the scene and sized proportionately
to each other. These last scene is the truest to how the
large scene will look, but it continues to morph and change.
Not long after beginning the sculpture of Evelyn in 2012 I began to create digital designs to present to the Rubensteins. I had several designs that I spent hours on and never presented. The one design that had me was Alice. I just kept coming back to Alice.
The interesting thing is that, originally the Rubensteins did not want just a random sculpture, they wanted another portrait of Evelyn. Over time, I think Alice and her friends won the heart of the Rubensteins. Or maybe I’m just a good sales woman, I’ll never know, but this sculpture as it has morphed between my client and I, will be a destination spot when people come to Houston. Visitors will enjoy the interaction and the most coveted dining experience in Texas. I think Evelyn would be proud for all that it represents, family, imagination, literature, creativity, and fun.
Over the next three years, I modified the designs, and Alice grew from a life-size sculpture to a monumental sculpture with the mad hatter being 8 feet tall. At one point we talked about making the table much, much larger to accomodate more guests, but instead brought it down to this intimate size. Originally I had designed the sculpture to be a mix of materials-bronze and faux bois. Faux bois is concrete that is made to look like wood. The table and benches would be this faux bois. The first designs of the project were going to be a collaboration of myself and two master faux bois artists Donald Tucker and Cindee Klement. The work of these masters is nothing less than yummy, but the client changed the material desiring all bronze. Maybe one day I will see the mix of these two mediums, but it was back to the drawing board one more time.
In the last of the project designs, I had created and suggested an additional sculpture of Evelyn on a faux bois bench petting a large grey poodle. The Rubensteins had just lost their long time furry companion and because I love dogs and also specialize in pet memorials. I thought this might be a good addition to the park. I still hope that one day this additional piece will be added to the park. I loved the idea of Evelyn sitting back and watching everything that was taking place in her special wonderland, and I thought kids would love to interact with the dog as much as the other art. But budget and time were an issue, and we narrowed it down to the characters, table, benches, and podium with the book. To sculpt all of this in such a short amount of time is still a massive undertaking. Be sure to watch to see how I do this on both this blog and the Finding Alice Facebook Page
The idea of hiding things in the wood was an early decision of my own. At first I was not going to tell anyone. When I found out it was the 150th anniversary of the story, the “150” becomes a personal challenge for me. Plus after reading the annotated Alice I realized there were so many hidden things in Lewis Carroll’s original story that I have much from which to choose. I’m delighted to be writing two books on this project one about he process from start to finish and documenting all of the technology used in the creation. The Alice Process book will be very similar to my new book coming out in Sept called 3D Technology in Fine Art and Craft: Exploring 3D Printing, Scanning, Sculpting and Milling
The other book I will create, after the sculpture is done being sculpted and off to the foundry, is a field guide written in Rhyme and riddle. It is about the 150 hidden elements. Note: this does not mean just 150 hidden things. There are meanings behind the pieces that are a part of the hidden elements. So, take out your the Annotated Alice,my blog and to the Finding Alice Page to see how we progress from here. If you have not seen the YouTube video on the project, it describes some of the ins and outs of the project and technology better than can be explained right here. Get ready… this should be a curious adventure. Thanks for coming down the rabbit hole with me.
Announcement Has Been Made- Now We Run Around Like Those In The Caucus Race
If you know your Alice In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll then you know that in one chapter the characters ran around like crazy to get dry. This was called a caucus race. Well that is what I feel like I have been doing at the studio since the announcement that Bellaire, Texas is going to receive the sculpture of the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party that I am creating. It has been compounded with the fact that July 4th is the 150th anniversary celebration of the story of Alice in Wonderland.
For some that follow my work, friends, family etc. you know I have been working on a project for three years. It is a monumental sculpture of Alice in Wonderland. I could not make the official announcement until all of the details were settled. They are now settled and we sent out official press releases.
The park that is getting the sculpture is the Evelyn’s Park in Bellaire, Texas (Bellaire is in the Houston, Texas area.) The park broke ground just a few weeks ago on June 18th, but we had not yet finalized the paper work on the sculpture and so we had to keep it hush hush. I went with my daughter, son in law and granddaughter. The kids were painting pickets and I painted one with my granddaughter. My contribution was that I painted “Alice?”
My two year old granddaughter got into the event bringing her own shovel and breaking ground. One day she will bring her children or grand children to this sculpture, long after I am gone and tell them that their grandmother or great grandmother built this. They will look and see so many special things within the sculpture.
I’m glad the Cheshire cat is out of the bag, so to speak. Please keep an eye on the Finding Alice Facebook page to watch the progress and learn about the 150 things I’m hiding in the Alice sculpture.
You might also want to watch the you tube video on the project. It tells more about this project than I can fit in this post. Please share with others and invite them to help me and watch the project on The Finding Alice page.
Jump Down the Rabbit Hole to Celebrate 150 Years of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ Houston-Area Park to Receive Original Sculpture of Mad Hatter Tea Party
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jump Down the Rabbit Hole to Celebrate 150 years of ‘Alice in Wonderland’
Houston-Area Park to Receive Original Sculpture of Mad Hatter Tea Party
July 2, 2015 – HOUSTON –
Tea party for eight? No reservations necessary! As the world celebrates the 150th Anniversary of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” July 4th, Houstonians eagerly anticipate a monumental sculpture of the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.
The Jerry and Maury Rubenstein Foundation commissioned the sculpture, in honor of their mother, Evelyn. The scene will be larger than life and reside within Evelyn’s Park at 4400 Bellaire Boulevard (the former site of Teas Nursery) with an anticipated completion of late 2016.
Bridgette Mongeon, a local Houston artist, designed and titled the sculpture, “Move One Place On.” The title of the sculpture is what the Mad Hatter beckons at the tea party. Mongeon hopes visitors will develop a tradition of shouting the proclamation and change places at the bronze table as they visit the sculpture.
The characters in Mongeon’s maquettes, which are miniature sculptures, are now growing like Alice. Over the next few months, the small digital and clay designs will turn into a 10-foot table with eight-foot bronze characters hosting the fanciful feast. The artist is carefully crafting each character to interact with visitors at the table. She invites everyone to join her in her studio through the Finding Alice Sculpture Facebook page where the scene comes to life.
The sculpture will seat six-to-eight additional guests allowing families to bring a picnic and join the tea party. The monumental figures of Alice, the March Hare, Cheshire Cat, Dormouse and Mad Hatter are waiting for you and your family to complete the scene!
In honor of the sesquicentennial, Mongeon is also creating – and hiding – 150 different elements within the scene, inviting park visitors on an interactive journey. For example, if guests look carefully, they may find a small Humpty Dumpty hiding, and the waiting White Queen tucked into the bronze “bark” legs of the table and benches.
The sculpture and Evelyn’s Park, located in Bellaire, will be a “destination spot” for visitors to the Houston area and the fans of the endearing story of Alice in Wonderland. To follow the artist’s process, learn more about the treasure hunt and receive hints about the 150 hidden items in “Move One Place On,” visit the artist’s website at www.creativesculpture.com or follow the artists’s process on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FindingAliceSculpture.
Learn more about the sculpture from this YouTube Video https://youtu.be/P1J821vwkr8
Bridgette Mongeon is a Houston, Texas sculptor whose commissioned work is collected worldwide. She is also an author of a new book “3D Technology in Fine Art and Craft: Exploring 3D Printing, Scanning, Sculpting and Milling.” She looks forward to documenting her process of creating “Move One Place On” for a new book. Mongeon uses a mixture of traditional sculpting and digital technology such as 3D printing in her work. She enjoys encouraging others as a visiting speaker on creativity, technology and math using this famous literary work and her art.
Evelyn Park is made possible by land donated to the City of Bellaire by the Jerry and Maury Rubenstein Foundation to honor their mother, Evelyn, who valued nature, community and family. The Rubenstein brothers hope to create a special kind of curious adventure on this 5-acre site in the heart of Bellaire by maintaining a green space in the heart of the city. For more information about Evelyn’s Park, please visit www.evelynspark.org.
ABOUT EVELYN’S PARK CONSERVANCY Founded in 2011, Evelyn’s Park Conservancy is a nonprofit citizens’ organization dedicated to the stewardship and improvement of Evelyn’s Park. The land was donated to the City of Bellaire on the condition that it would be developed as a park; a beautiful, safe and quiet respite for its surrounding communities. EPC is committed to designing, developing and transforming the 5-acre historic former Teas Nursery site into a park that will enhance the health, safety and well being of the citizens of Bellaire, Texas and surrounding communities. For more information, please visit www.evelynspark.org.
________________________________________
For more information about this press release, please contact:
Bridgette Mongeon 713-540-3201
Bridgette@creativesculpture.com
IMAGES- Images for this press release are found at:
More information can be found on the Finding Alice Press Page
Bridgett invites the media to come and jump down the rabbit hole and watch the process of creating “Move One Place” on.
A Wonderful Podcast Extra Segment About Me and B. B. King
I’m so glad that Tracy and Tom put together this page and extra little podcast segment about my interaction with B. B. King and how his death sparked my family into remembering. The message also holds some special things for all artists and artistic families. If you have not had a chance to listen to the short segment, it is not long.
The little podcast above was cropped from our long podcast. Here is a link to Tom and Tracy’s podcast about the book. Though their podcast primarily focuses on fused filament fabrication (type of 3D printing ) they diverted a bit to podcast with me about my book coming out in Sept. called 3D Technology in Fine Art and Craft: Exploring 3D Printing, Scanning, Sculpting and Milling
PAY ATTENTION- Important- They Are Going To Blow Up This Treasure Trove
I wrote about the importance of our cultural heritage in my new book 3D Technology in Fine Art and Craft: Exploring 3D Printing, Scanning, Sculpting and Milling
In the book I talk about how a company called Cyark is scanning cultural artifacts from all over the world. They are doing this in the hopes of preserving and documenting these treasures in case of natural or human destruction. Mes Anyak is a 5,000 year old and very large archaeological site that is an incredibly rich cultural reservoir with art that is being uncovered and expected to be uncovered for the next 40 years. Here is the catch— it is scheduled to be blown up. You will have to follow the links in this post and be sure to read my book to discover why. ( Don’t wait for the book- act now!)
Only 10% of Mes Aynak has been excavated, though, and some believe future discoveries at the site have the potential to redefine the history of Afghanistan and the history of Buddhism itself. (From http://www.savingmesaynak.com/)
I came upon Mes Anyak while writing my book and my heart wept at what I saw. I immediately felt a kinship to Brent Huffman for his work in trying to spread the word about Mes Anyak. I was honored to feature his photography and this incredible place in the book. Though 3D scanning is a wonderful way to preserve and document, and I would love to talk to anyone who is 3D scanning any part of Mes Anyak for my Art and Technology Podcast. But scanning feels like putting a bandaid on a gun shot wound. To me, it is senseless to blow up this treasure trove- akin to murder. Brent is trying to make a documentary to spread the word about Mes Anyak in the hope of saving it. Please visit his kickstarter campaign.
Like Mes Anyak—Brent has limited time.
PLEASE TAKE NOTE: Please watch the video of this incredible place, visit the kickstarter, help and pass on this post to others.
Time is of the essence.
Help #SaveMesAynak from Kartemquin Films on Vimeo.
National Sculpture Society – “Hand Versus Computer”
I’m delighted that the National Sculpture Society invited me to participate in education at the National Sculpture Society Conference June 26-28, 2015.
In 2007/2008 I wrote an article about combining traditional and digital technology called Exploring Digital Technologies as Applied to Traditional Sculpture and a sidebar on Shan Gray’s sculpture The American . The magazine that I wrote this for is Sculpture Review – a publication of the National Sculpture Society. All those years ago I was working on a degree combining 3D technology in fine art. This type of degree was not even heard of and would not have been possible without the support of Goddard College Master of Fine Art in Interdisciplinary Arts degree. Eight years later, my book titled 3D Technology In Fine Art and Craft: Exploring 3D Printing, Scanning, Sculpting and Milling by Focal Press is being published, and I’m headed to the National Sculpture Society Conference to discuss these topics.
I’ll be participating in the conference in Philadelphia on a panel- “Hand versus Computer.” I’m accompanied by some incredible artists.
The panel consists of Sabine Howard, George Nista, Simon Indrele, Sandis Kondrats, Jim Licaretz, and me Bridgette Mongeon. Once again, I’m the only female on a panel talking about technology. Tuck Langland will be moderating the panel.
Though the Society Conference has me listed for the book signing, my book won’t be ready. It is coming out in Sept, but is available for pre-order on Amazon. So, technically I won’t be able to participate in the book signing. However, when I’m not on the panel, I’ll be in the vendor area. I’ll be talking about the process of creating the Grambling State Tiger featured in the book, the many different technologies and the artists that I featured in the book. Of course, I’ll also be talking about my new book and art project of Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatter Tea Party. This new project is pushing the combination of art and technology to the max. Check out the video below or on YouTube. My time in the vendor area will be like my interactions at 3D Printer World Expo 2015, 2014.
Thank you Focal Press for believing it is time for this type of book.It took a long time to convince a publisher to publish a book on the topic of art and technology. I also want to thank them for supplying me with a sample of the book prior to the release date so that I can have it for this conference. The book is available on Amazon but, the actual release of the book is September 2015.
There is still time to register for the conference. Also stay tuned. I’m trying to podcast with some of the participants from the conference for the art and technology podcasts. I’ll either do this before if we can fit it in or after. But, as always, keep checking the book’s website as I podcast monthly with those working with art and technology. You are also welcome to use the podcast episodes on your website or ezine.
If you are going to the conference and want to set up a fireside chat around some drinks or a meal, I’d love to organize one. Just let me know. We did this at 3D Printer World Expo and those participating found it helpful. And as usual you can share your own work on 3D tech and fine art projects and questions on both LinkedIn and Facebook. I’ll be glad to help!
See you in Philly!
An Offer To The New Yorker
As many know I’m working on a magnum opus- a monumental bronze sculpture of Alice in Wonderland’s Mad Hatter’s Tea Party for a Texas park. The details are found in this video. I use traditional processes and digital processes which make this entire project a very intriguing story. How do I use 3D printing, or CNC milling to create this art? Watch the video, though there is no way to show all the technology in this video. I’m really pushing the limits here. I’m also hiding 150 elements within the bronze scene in honor of this year being the 150th anniversary of the story of Alice in Wonderland.
Those who study Lewis Carroll know he loved puzzles and riddles. Well, these hidden objects celebrate Carroll’s curiosity of puzzles and riddles. Don’t fret, you will be able to follow along and find some of these hidden treasures if the New Yorker takes up my offer. I will reveal the hidden items, the placement and their meaning to the New Yorker so they may publicize them in their paper for the duration of the time I am sculpting the monumental bronze pieces—approximately the next 6 months.
You will notice by watching the video that I am creating two books on the Alice Project. One is a process book that explains the process of creating the Alice scene. This shares many of the details of using the technology and combining it with traditional sculpture, and is very similar to my recent book, but just focusing on Alice. The other book is the field guide. This field guide gives you hints to the 150 hidden elements and a place to record them. I expect these books to come out in 2017 as the sculpture will need to be placed before I can finish writing the books. However, If the New Yorker takes me up on my challenge then individuals that read the New Yorker, will have some of these answers.
So what do you say New Yorker? Will you jump in the rabbit hole with me? I will only make this offer for one national magazine and I sure hope it is the New Yorker.
There are several media pages for this Alice project that you can find on my website
Also there is a Facebook page for Finding Alice.
I’m looking forward to hearing from you.
A Challenge For Bill Geist of Sunday Morning
CBS Sunday Morning
Bill Geist,
I would like to invite you to come and hide something in my monumental bronze sculpture that I am making of the Mad Hatter Tea Party for a Texas Park. Yes, you will make your mark forever captured in bronze. If you prefer you can bring a grandchild to create something to hide. ( Please note this offer is not open to the general public. The only other people working on this sculpture is me and my interns. ) I’m hiding 150 elements of the story in the scene of the Mad Hatter Tea Party before it is turned into bronze. Come be creative and take part in helping me develop this treasure hunt.
You must be “curious.” Join me in creating this incredible piece of bronze art that will last long after we are gone. I’m looking forward to celebrating the 150th Anniversary of Alice in Wonderland with you.
Don’t worry, not all of the hidden elements are 3D printed and embedded into the clay before it goes to bronze. I can give you some clay to create something fun, I’ll even help you if you need it. Of course this celebrates the 150th anniversary of Alice in Wonderland so you might want to brush up on the story a bit to find something to sculpt. I’ll even let you place your hidden object in the large Mad Hatter scene, but I ask that the camera’s not divulge the place we put it and you must not tell a soul, as it is, after all, a treasure hunt.
So Bill do you accept the challenge?
Please let me know.
Here is a link to a press release about the project
And… if you would like to see a video of the art the concept and the process that incorporates traditional sculpting and digital technology here is a video that explains how that is happening. ( Yes, We will be using 3D printing on a monumental bronze, no Bill, you won’t have to work on the computer to do this, unless you want to.)
Looking forward to your response.
Bridgette Mongeon
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Option 2.
I will 3d scan your face using just photographs – Yes, it is all apart of some of the crazy technology and math combined with traditional sculpture that is involved with this project. I’ll use a program such as 123D catch which is free for anyones phone. I have done this with a friend which you can see the results here. He will be one of the 3 naves that paint the roses red. If you did not want to sculpt one of the 150 items and would prefer to do this, I would be happy to immortalize you in bronze.Pick a nave and an expression. You would actually be perfect for this. I could use the digital scan of your face and attach it to the sculpting that I do of these naves, and then 3D print the image and add it to the scene before it is turned into a bronze sculpture. Then just like that you are a part of the sculpture captured forever in bronze.
Complicated? Not really, but it is my challenge to introduce others not just to the story of Alice, literature, and fine art, but the wonders of incorporating digital technology in fine art as I featured in my last book. Check out the video to see how else I use digital technology in my traditional sculpting.
So, are you up for the challenge?
For Immediate Release – Sculptor Jumps Down the Rabbit Hole in Celebration of Alice In Wonderland’s 150th Anniversary
Monday June 15, 2015
A Sculptor Jumps Down the Rabbit Hole
in Celebration of Alice In Wonderland’s 150th Anniversary
As the world celebrates the 150th Anniversary of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland,” an artist is creating a special kind of curious adventure. Houston, Texas artist Bridgette Mongeon designed a monumental sculpture of the Mad Hatter Tea Party. She was inspired by the famous sculpture of “Alice in Wonderland” located in New York’s Central Park. Philanthropist George Delacorte commissioned that Alice sculpture from José de Creeft and donated the sculpture in 1959.
Mongeon has been working diligently over the last few years to finalize the design to celebrate Alice. The artist is now translating the small, sculpted maquette and digital designs into a ten-foot table that will seat six to eight additional guests. Eight-foot bronze characters host the fanciful feast.
Mongeon has titled the new sculpture of the Mad Hatter tea party, “Move One Place On.” The title reflects the Mad Hatter’s announcement at the tea party prior to everyone changing places. The artist hopes visitors will develop the tradition of shouting the proclamation and changing places on their visit to the sculpture at the park.
The Texas park (The location will soon be announced.) and the sculpture will be a “destination spot” for those in Texas and the fans of the endearing story of “Alice in Wonderland.” Visitors can bring their picnics, sit at the bronze table, and share a meal with the monumental figures of Alice, the March Hare, Cheshire Cat, Dormouse and Mad Hatter. In fact, Mongeon created each character to interact with the visitors at the table. That means that you and your family, as a curious guest, complete the scene.
You won’t need reservations for the most imaginative dining in Texas. However, if other guests occupy the Mad Hatter scene, there is still much to do as Mongeon is also creating a treasure hunt within the sculpture. In honor of the sesquicentennial Mongeon is placing 150 different elements within the scene. Look carefully, and you might find a hiding Humpty Dumpty and the waiting White Queen tucked into the wooden bark legs that make up the table and benches. To learn more about the treasure hunt and receive hints about the 150 hidden items in “Move One Place On” visit Bridgette Mongeon’s website at https://creativesculpture.com or follow the process on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/FindingAliceSculpture
Mongeon expects to complete and install the sculpture late 2016.
________________________________________
For more information concerning this press release contact:
Artist— Bridgette Mongeon 713-699-1739 landline
A video featuring the process and showing Bridgette Mongeon’s work has been created to accompany this press release. Find it on you tube at https://youtu.be/P1J821vwkr8