A solo exhibition of Bruce Beasely sculptures is on display at the Autodesk Gallery in San Francisco until February 7, 2014. What makes the sculptures noteworthy is that they were all output on 3D printers.
Beasley is an internationally known abstract sculptor whose signature bronze sculptures are collected by major museums, including the Pompidou in France, and the Guggenheim and Museum of Modern Art in New York.
While Beasley was among the first to legitimize 3D modeling as a way to draw, sketch, and imagine, the “Coriolis” series displayed at the Autodesk Gallery is the first time Beasley used 3D printing to actually “sculpt” his final artwork. After using Autodesk Alias, 3dsMax, and Inventor software to model the works, he used a state-of-the-art 3D printer to build up detailed ribbons of liquid plastic in ascending tiers to bring the designs to life.
“I’ve always held the belief that fine art is the vision of the artist and not defined by the tool of production,” said Bruce Beasley. “These Coriolis works utilize Autodesk technology that best allows me to investigate and communicate what has fascinated me for over sixty years – the aesthetic and emotional potential of complex shapes in space. Computer modeling and 3D printing give me the ability to make sculptures I could not execute in any other way. The creative impulse remains the same whatever tools an artist uses, but it is liberating and exciting to explore a new vocabulary of shapes—part mechanical, part organic— made possible through innovations in technology.”
In 2008, the Autodesk-sponsored Digital Stone Exhibition showcased Beasley and three other sculptors who use 3D software as part of their artistic process. Autodesk chose to partner with Beasley in this solo exhibition to demonstrate their mutual commitment to exploring the rich interactive boundaries between creativity and technology.
“Bruce has always forged a new technological path to further his art and was one of the earliest artists to adopt our design software into his work,” said Carl Bass, Autodesk president and CEO. “His latest Coriolis exhibition further solidifies him as one of the leading masters of revolutionizing fine art sculptural media.”
Bruce Beasley and his Coriolis exhibition will be featured at Autodesk Design Night December 5 at the Autodesk Gallery in San Francisco.
The Autodesk Gallery at One Market in San Francisco celebrates the design process that takes a great idea and turns it into a reality. With more than 20 different exhibits regularly on display, the gallery illustrates the role technology plays in great design and engineering. The Autodesk Gallery is open to the public every Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a guided tour at 12:30 p.m. every Wednesday.
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