pic 1 Essay

How has Technology had an influence on craft?

46310551538605Andre Derain, The Pool of London, 1906

00Andre Derain, The Pool of London, 1906

Technology has advanced rapidly over the past decade and has changed the way we live our lives. The introduction into our world’s pc, internet and mobile phones has greatly influenced the way that we live. But how has it affected the world of craft? I will be exploring how technology has influenced the world of craft. I will be writing about how technology has influenced many artists like Neri Oxman and Leonardo da Vinci.

I will also be writing about how technology can be used in everything. From music, movies, media and video games to even bigger pieces of art like 3d printing bridges, buildings etc. I will also be looking into how older tech like looms and sewing machines, and how they have helped with the creation of current technology for crafts.

46361352442845This Minecraft map is based on The Pool of London, a 1906 painting by Andr? Derain

00This Minecraft map is based on The Pool of London, a 1906 painting by Andr? Derain

Video games, video games have had a massive impact on the world.

Some more than others I saw this article online talking about a game called Minecraft. This is a game most people have heard of but most don’t realise what it can do for people. I was reading an article called “Minecraft as mind craft” written by will burns. This article is a great example of how Minecraft single handedly; a game has influenced the creative world! For example, he describes the game to be “the new cardboard box”. He goes on and talks about how when you were a child, playing with the largest box it could be a spaceship a house, an invisibility cloak, this box could be anything. He describes playing Minecraft as an important phenomenon, “you can almost hear the kids’ neurons growing, shaping, firing…” of which this demonstrates how important he feels Minecraft particularly! Can help children or adults explore, weird and wacky ideas and being creative.

4735830571500005534025955675Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson, The Soul of the Soulless City (‘New York – an Abstraction’) 1920

00Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson, The Soul of the Soulless City (‘New York – an Abstraction’) 1920

Anything created in Minecraft can either be replicated or inspire a piece of art or building in the real world. Not only this, but Tate has teamed up and has done the complete opposite. With some leading Minecraft map makers to create masterpieces within the game. For example the painting on the right, by Andre Derain has been recreated for people to explore right at home.

55314851033145This Minecraft map is based on Christopher Nevinson’s painting The Soul of the Soulless City 1920

00This Minecraft map is based on Christopher Nevinson’s painting The Soul of the Soulless City 1920

4178935852170The other painting, by Christopher Nevinson’s “the soul of the soulless city 1920” was another example of what the mine crafters made. Within the game it gives players an entire painting to explore with working mine carts that can lead people through this masterpiece of a world. Another 8 maps were created for people to explore. So overall I think we can summarise that video games can help inspire people of all ages. Not only this it can bring paintings to life for people to explore and indulge into. It’s a new way of craft, within a virtual world.

Movies have inspired the world of craft in so many different ways! Not only has it meant stop motion characters are being used in masterful ways. But artists have taken it upon themselves to create huge and incredible replicas of weapons and armour based on their favourite characters.

52279551985645004010660474345004027805198945500Stop motion movies have been created using both a mixture of technology and craft. There has been a variety of movies released like Kubo and the two strings, Wallace and Gromit and nightmare before Christmas all using craft and technology. During the creation of the biggest and more recent Kubo and the two strings the main character “Kubo” according to Brain Mclean (Visual effect artist) had “22,000 faces” but they bisect the faces into two phases so the director can change the eyebrows and mouth giving Kubo about “48 million possible facial expressions” which this stop motion piece links to technology by using top grade 3d printers and Brian McLean’s’ and his team of rapid prototyping skills to create all the faces used in the movie.

Without movies and games, we wouldn’t have the world of cosplay. Cosplay is where tonnes of people come together, to events like comic con and the majority will show off their crafting skills! These skills vary massively but none should be disparaged as it’s just a fun event. It’s a showcase of what people can create. An event where creative people can show off their textile skills, woodwork, metal work almost every known crafting skill to man inspired by movies created using technology in a completely new light.

As I previously mentioned 3d printing played a huge part in the stop motion world. But 3d printing has been used in so much, not only has 3d printing be used to create small miniatures used in the movie industry but also prototypes for visual representation of what a creator will eventually craft from a different material, it also gives you the scale and there’s so many filaments you can use to even give it a wooden, concrete, marble look to help with the visualisation process. But when it comes to 3d printing, people have taken it to a much larger scales for example