Words: Lisa Solly | Photos: Cody Ingram
A University of West Alabama art professor will be showcasing a 3-D sculpture in a nationally juried exhibition.
Nick Davis will be exhibiting three DIY sculpture kits at the Floyd Center for the Arts in Virginia this summer in the exhibition Synthesis: Digital Craft, which highlights the intersection of digital processes and craft in today's world.
“The Floyd Center for the Arts show was one I was excited to attend because it explores the intersection of craft and technology,” Davis points out. “In the past, 'craft' was synonymous with handcrafted, and people thought it was the artist's hands that made the piece. Today, technology plays an integral role in the creative process.”
Drawing inspiration from old-school toys like Jack, Tinker Toys and even carbon molecules, Davis creates the pieces for his DIY sculpture kits using Blender, a 3D modeling and animation software program he also uses in his animation teaching on campus. The completed designs are exported into another program, sliced ​​into thin layers and sent to a 3D printer to be manufactured.
His DIY kits, known as modular sculptures – works of art that can be moved, separated and recombined – are part of a conceptual art project he calls “The School of Poetic Living,” an idea designed to encourage creativity and nurture the imagination. Davis envisions creating individual sculpture kits in different sizes, shapes and colors to sell commercially, but first he needs to produce enough pieces to create one large sculptural installation for his own enjoyment. “The project doesn't happen overnight,” he says.
Davis believes that anyone can be an artist, regardless of the medium, and is a strong advocate for increased participation in art classes at UWA.
“All students must choose electives, but few know that not only are classes available in drawing, painting, ceramics and even animation, but there are no prerequisites,” he noted. “I would encourage anyone who wants to try something new to enroll.”