Copy in Context

Copy in Context is the title of a body of commissioned work that Alice Martin created in May 2018 for They Had Four Years at GENERATORprojects, Dundee, Scotland. For the show, Alice decided to highlight the use of new media through edited 3D prints. Alice’s idea was to remix archaeological material and original works through the utilization of open data such as 2D public domain images and open-source 3D models. The process included the superimposition of selected 2D imagery onto the surface of 3D scans. The projection of an image directly on to a 3D printed object added an unseen context. Through this process the artifact is no longer a copy; it becomes a recreation in its own right. By (re)creating ancient artifacts, Alice enable the beholder to engage the sculptures through touch. The intention behind this body of work was to explore the value of the copy and to make heritage more accessible while also commenting on the access to the information within museums.  

Alice concentrate on one ancient object and remixed it six times. The object in focus was Epichysis, an ancient Greek jug used in funerary practices; the particular one used came from the collection of the Musée Saint-Raymond and was obtained via Scan the World and Sketchfab. Three half-size remixes explored different printing materials, and the public was actively encouraged to touch the items. The other three larger edits were manipulated to include images in order to add context to the original item and were 3D printed full-sized in full colour sandstone. These three objects were then suspended from the ceiling in transparent Perspex boxes. Suspension of the objects allowed the viewer to walk around each exhibit, and this created an immersive experience; the shadows added to this. Alice’s intention was to replace the notion of text with images that related to the object, thus adding a narrative. 3D printing meant that Alice could do this in an innovative way specifically through full colour printing, one of the few methods to retain texture details.

Credit for images and information used in this work include the following:

Scan the World: Epichysis 
Sketchfab: Vase aryballisque à figures rouges by Musée Saint-Raymond is licensed under CC Attribution-ShareAlike: 
Terracotta funerary plaque via The Metropolitan Museum of Art is licensed under CC0 1.0
Gold pediment-shaped brooch via The Metropolitan Museum of Art is licensed under CC0 1.0 
The Temple of Athena in Paestum by Constantin Hansen via Statens Museum for Kunst is licensed under CC0 1.0 
Gezicht op kraters van de Vesuvius via Rijksmuseum is licensed under CC0 1.0
Head from an Acrolithic Statue by J. Paul Getty Museum. Digital image courtesy of the Getty's Open Content Program.
Belt Hook by J. Paul Getty Museum. Digital image courtesy of the Getty's Open Content Program.
Lucanian Red-Figure Volute Krater Attributed to the Palermo Painter. Digital image courtesy of the Getty's Open Content Program.

The work was supported by funding from the Hope Scott Trust.

More work by Alice Martin and information about that work can be found through the following links:

https://cargocollective.com/alicecmartin
https://www.instagram.com/alicecmartin/
https://twitter.com/alicecmartin
https://www.myminifactory.com/users/alicecmartin
https://sketchfab.com/alicecmartin

Interviews and press releases include the following:

Press release: http://generatorprojects.co.uk/project/they-had-4-years-2018/ 
The Skinny May 2018: https://issuu.com/theskinny/docs/may_2018_issue_152 
The Skinny Review also viewable online: https://www.theskinny.co.uk/art/emerging-artists/they-had-4-years  
Interview by 3D Printing Industry, which mentions the work: https://3dprintingindustry.com/news/interview-an-artists-perspective-on-the-future-of-3d-in-museums-148314/
Mention of the work by Fluxaxis: https://www.fluxaxis.com/whats-cooking/3d-printing-and-the-democratisation-of-museums-history-art-design/