A project to touch the shapes of tradition by combining 3D printing with traditional materials and techniques

Keywords

Digital Fabrications,Traditional Techniques,Touchable Museum Materials

Objectives

The present research uses digital fabrications to give three dimensions to the shapes of tradition and get at their plastic characteristics and latent beauty while conducting a fresh inquiry into ethnic culture. When one has three-dimensional output, thanks to the fusion of digital technologies and traditional techniques, one can attempt to create museum materials that go beyond the existing framework for touchable educational materials and further attempt to establish methods for creating three-dimensional materials that will also contribute to a museum’s educational and learning programs.
As for that which is to be given shape, the focus will be on those things for which there is a dearth of three-dimensional materials such as icons and beings that exist in the imagination, such as the spirits depicted by Australian aboriginals in tree bark and the apparitions that exist in Japanese folklore around the country. In addition, this project will also explore the possibility of rendering in three dimensions those things whose form shifts over time such as the Ainu crane dance. Museum materials made touchable through the combination of 3D printing and traditional techniques can help to deepen the understanding of those materials by both the visually impaired and sighted persons and can be expected to lead to increasing the value of a museum’s resources. The objective of the present research is also to offer an image of a more open museum, accomplished by putting concrete works on display.

Research Results

This research project selected the following two-dimensional works of art and created tactile materials of said works to tactically explore the plastic characteristics of two-dimensional works.
(1) Yokaiga [Yokai painting], Chubei Yagyu (contemporary artist), private collection
(2) Bai Ze (sketch), Unknown artist, Ink on paper, Okawa City Seiriki Art Museum collection
(3) Shoryo [Spirit] (bark painting, H0140387), Unknown artist (Australian Aborigine), National Museum of Japanese History collection
(4) The Creation of the Mosquito (silkscreen, H0144824), Walter Harris (Canadian Ts’msyen), National Museum of Japanese History collection
(5) Shishi [Guardian Lion] (Scrolls of Frolicking Animals), Toba Sojo, Ink on paper, Toganosan Kosan-ji Temple collection
(6) Fine Wind, Clear Morning (from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji), Katsushika Hokusai, Large format Nishiki-e, Sumida Hokusai Museum and others
(7) Kyoto, nue, taibi [Kyoto: The Nue Monster, The End] (from the series Kisokaido rokujukyu tsugi no uchi [Sixty-nine Stations of the Kisokaido Road]), Large format Nishiki-e, Nakasendo Hiroshige Museum of Art and others
(8) Ryu [Dragon] (Scrolls of Frolicking Animals), Toba Sojo, Ink on paper, Toganosan Kosan-ji Temple collection
Two-dimensional works of art are forms of expression that specialize in visual information. Simply adding unevenness to a work sometimes makes it difficult for those without visual experience to grasp the overall image or intended expression of the work. Furthermore, relief works are visual phenomena. To address this issue, the research project proposed a phased touchable approach and tested a method for appreciating art using two-phase tactile materials. The first phase consists of touching relief materials created based on the original works with mechanical processing, in which the subjective interpretation of the creator of said materials was removed to the extent possible. The second phase consists of touching three-dimensional materials created based on the original two-dimensional works and related sculptures, to give shape to the image and deepen understanding. It was discussed that this two-phased approach would also be effective in the understanding of cultural properties. Implementing this touchable approach resulted in the following important findings.
– Touching a combination of two- and three-dimensional materials is an effective aid for understanding a work (particularity spatial perception).
– Materials that can be understood with minimal description encourage active exploration of the work.
– Three-dimensional materials may be an effective aid in the understanding of the composition of the image, even if only the central theme of the work is presented.
– The quality of the tactile experience differs depending on the 3D printing filament.
– Having the artist add finishing touches to the surface had the effect of improving the quality of touchable art appreciation.
– Touchable art appreciation not only aids visually impaired people but also is effective in deepening the art appreciation experience for sighted people.
To create the materials, we mainly used a combination of a 3D printer with wood filament and finishing the surface using a dry lacquer technique. In addition, since 2023 we have been exploring the possibility of using DED metal 3D printing technology with the aim of establishing a method for creating materials that are more durable and suitable for long-term exhibit. Going forward, we will expand exhibits of touchable materials that combine 2D and 3D through activities such as art appreciation workshops at schools for the visually impaired.