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Touchable Speculation: Crafting Critical Discourse with 3D Printing, Maker Practices, and Hypermapping

generative failure

While I later discuss the heuristic process embedded in speculative design and making, failed prints also have heuristic qualities. Some of my "failed" prints (one pictured below) ended up being cooler or more expressive than those that captured the digital file accurately.

Others agree that technological "failure" yields artistic discovery, in which "glitches make good art." (See: Clark, Kristen. "When Glitches Make Good Art: Two Artists Turn Apartments into 3D-Printed Sculptures." IEEE Spectrum, 2016, 23.)

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What is 3D Printing Anyway? 3D printing is a form of additive fabrication. Historically, most fabrication has been subtractive. Subtractive manufacturing is based on stripping or cutting away from a larger piece of material to chisel out the desired form. Think of wood whittling: the process begins with a larger piece of wood and the desired result is achieved by removing sections piece by piece. For this reason, additive manufacturing results in less waste.

3D printing requires a few necessities: a digital file of the object, a 3D printer, and plastic filament. The extruder works in tandem with the platform to lay the plastic true to the file construction. The extruder heats the plastic to a malleable temperature and works quite similarly to a robotic glue gun. Beyond material, 3D printing requires experience and patience working with print settings to ensure a successful print.

Many open-source 3D objects are available via online databases, like thingiverse.com, in which users upload and share their files. For those interested in editing and/or making their own files, 3D modeling/printing software is often available to download for free. Software ranges by functionality and skill-level.

While 3D printers remain expensive, several makerspaces equipped with 3D printers are available across community spaces and college campuses. I utilize the 3D printers in the makerspace in the main library of my university. There, students have the option to print their own work, after completing an orientation session, or can submit a file online to be printed by staff. Users pay 20 cents per gram of plastic filament used.

The learning curve for both 3D modeling and printing can be incredibly steep. This work can be vastly time-consuming, challenging, and error-prone. Though free online tutorials help with the troubleshooting process, I have found that tinkering and playing with the objects, printers, and software has yielded the most success in skill-building.

The John and Stella Graves MakerSpace located in the University of Maryland's main library, McKeldin Library, December 2018. Image credit: Yitzy Paul (reproduced with permission; click Theta logo for link to original image). Many thanks to Preston Tobery, the coordinator of the makerspace, and Yitzy for their help on my many 3D printing adventures, including fleshLAB.

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skullglitch