More about A Pair of Voxel Sèvres Vases, 2017
voxel (ˈvɒksəl) A voxel represents a single sample, or data point, on a regularly spaced, three-dimensional grid. It can be thought of a 3-dimensional pixel. 'The starting point for the Voxel-Sèvres vessel was my exploration of museums via the Google Art Project. It allows the viewer to float through galleries, and zoom in on anything that catches our fancy. Why join the queues when you can navigate through the empty galleries from the comfort of your armchair? It is an extraordinary technical achievement, a very useful tool, but it’s not the real thing, you can’t smell the oil paint and you can’t quite walk all the way round the sculptures. It is a 2D representation of the real world. The Voxel-Sèvres vessel explores the relationship between the actual world of real objects and the virtual world of digital technology.
The Sèvres potpourri vase was chosen for its sensuous flowing curves, which would contrast the more rigid structure of the ‘voxel’ extrusions, emphasising the differences between physical objects and their virtual representations.
I spent many hours creating numerous iterations of the design using Rhino 3D CAD software. Once satisfied with the design on screen, the data was sent to a bureau specialising in Additive Manufacturing and the piece was manufactured using the latest Selective Laser Sintering technology. It was then hand finished. The use of these new tools allows me create objects that were previously impossible to manufacture and enables me to inhabit an exciting grey area somewhere between craft, design and art.'
- Michael Eden, 2017 More Works for Sale
