3D printing came on like a firestorm, too. Suddenly everyone wanted to create things from scratch using these amazing devices. The promise was strong, but then the details got in the way.
Many people discovered that you can download fantastic files from Thingiverse, but to 3D print something you imagined, designed or even scanned – well, the difficulty rating just shot up. Most people don’t have the knowledge, skills, tools or patience to create their own work by producing .STL files.
Then there was the need to fiddle with the equipment and software to get it to behave. It was still the Model T days of 3D printing for regular folks.
Back in 2014 I ordered my first 3D printer, a 3D Systems CubeX. I’ve owned 3 more models since then, all created by Cerberus 3D, including my 8-foot-tall Gigante 3D printer, which has gone through innumerable upgrades since I commissioned it 2 decades ago.
Probably due to the learning curve – not to mention the need for endless patience – 3D printing is now no longer a fad. Other shiny things (can you say “AI”?) have caught peoples’ imagination. I don’t miss the excitement of those early days as I knew the interest would flag once people found out it wasn’t easy. There are still some people who are enjoying 3D printing, but the numbers have dropped precipitously, and you aren’t reading as many articles about the latest thing being 3D printed (a house! A kidney!)
Throughout it all I just kept making art, creating entirely new concepts, such as my Wabi-sabi series, and producing 3D-printed sculptures as tall as 6 feet, , outdoor 3D-printed sculptures, three-dimensional wall sculptures and internally-lit translucent artworks. I’ve played with bronze, rubber, translucent, color-changing and other filaments, too.
As fads come and go, I’ll stay focused on following my curiosity, asking “What if…?”