Art in Our Private Collection Part 1

Below I have shared a picture of a piece that was given to me by artist, technologist, and friend, Sebastien Dion, that presently sits on our mantle.

(closeup view)
There is a little story behind this treasure. A photographer I modeled for invited my husband and I to a party at his studio where we were introduced to Sebastien and his significant other, Amber Reed (note: Amber shares our last name! Grooveh!) who also modeled for our photographer friend. The four of us became quick friends and found we had a lot in common to talk about, specifically, we are all interested in the use of technology in art. Luckily, I brought along my portfolio that had some of my fractal images within. Of particular interest to Sebastien was a print of Strange Specimen and he asked if I'd be willing to allow him to use the image for a project he was working on. He went on to explain that for his thesis project, (M.F.A. at Bowling Green State University) he was working on an installation that would depict an archaeological dig of a futuristic Earth site, an abandoned temple found by an alien race. He hoped to create fossils using my fractal insect. I happily agreed to collaborate and couldn't wait to see the final product.
We attended the opening showing of Sebastien's exhibition there at BGSU at the end of April. Now, here is the reason that I have put off writing this blog post for so long… the show was truly, overwhelmingly, indescribably, awe inspiring! I cannot put into words the serene beauty of standing in the Willard Wankelman Gallery, surrounded by the most incredible body of work. Sebastien's imagination, skill, time, effort, research, innovations, and love for technology were evident in every single piece, from the massive stack of Plexiglas squares with a spinal chord cut from the center (I'll never forget that ingenious work of art), to the tiniest shards of ceramic pottery. It was like stepping into another time and place. I just cannot begin to describe it for words fail me.
In his artist statement, he says “Inspired by the field of archeology and anthropology, this series is part of a larger body of work that deals with our perception of the concept of “facts” and its presentation by the media. These objects of art are put in the context of a fictional archaeological discovery that is to be made in a non-distant future by a different culture. By borrowing from the archaeological method of research, I have created “facts” and data in the form of topographic references describing the location of the site and some of the remains of these future humans. I strive, by presenting these “Art”ifacts to the public, to raise their sensitivity to the material they are being exposed to and to help redefine our point of view and sharpen our objectivity in the matter of scientific content on today's media.”
Much to my excitement, after the show, Sebastien and Amber took us for a tour through BGSU's Digital Art Department where I was introduced to some really awesome machinery. The most impressive by far was a “3D printer” that Sebastien co-invented which uses 3D computer images to output real life ceramic objects. He showed us how that machine had been used to create some of the objects we saw in his exhibit! Yet another machine they showed us was a huge flatbed scanner, large enough for a person to lay on! Then we saw the machine that could “print” etchings onto surfaces, for instance, look at this two-sided engraved Plexiglas prototype that Amber made which is also in my collection (she exchanged this for a framed print of Death is an Angel at that photographer's party).

(Top-lit and closeup view)
Sorry, the transparent nature of this piece is stunning in person, but does not photograph well.
Unfortunately, I have not been able to find many links to Sebastien and Amber's artwork online. I did find this interesting article Sebastien wrote for SIGGRAPH last year about using rapid prototyping technology to create computer-generated durable output solutions such as heat-resistant molds and positive objects made of ceramic material.
We have since been to visit Amber and Sebastien many times and I'm proud to call them our friends. On one occasion, he bestowed upon me the gift of the collaborated insect fossil and a couple of incredible prints from the exhibit besides! I admire the abundance of creativity, intelligence and warmth that is alive within them. That's why I proudly display these two unusual but beautiful works of art in my home.
P.S.
I look forward to doing more articles like this so I can share some of the other fun pieces I've collected!