3D Printing The 10 Circles of Life

The creativity and innovation of digital art has long inspired me. Traditionally, my artistic pursuits have seen me print on various mediums including glass, plexiglass, metal and fabric and my work can be seen in several museums throughout the United States. Now, with the abilities of 3D printing and my recent work with architects and designers, I have taken to a new medium.

The relatively new and cutting-edge process of 3D printing inspired me. My first opportunity to print a 3D sculpture presented itself earlier last year. This was really a proof-of-concept sculptural idea to see if and how 3D printing would work for me and to understand the processes involved. The earliest iteration was accomplished with the help of a neighbour who had a 3D printer, but some issues were encountered, particularly with the support removal. We subsequently made contact with Solid Concepts, a 3D printing service provider located in Valencia, California. The piece, although small, was brilliant.

Immediately, I knew I wanted to create something bigger.

Thus, while I was attending the Temple Israel of Hollywood and listening to Rabbi John Roscove’s sermon on the 10 Circles of Life, I was inspired to create a much larger 3D printed sculpture. The Rabbi spoke of the significant stages one goes through to give life meaning and connection to family, friends, the world, the cosmos and God. As the sermon progressed, I envisioned my next piece with meaning; I would create a 3D sculpture symbolizing the 10 Circles.

I partnered with my cousin Jason Peters, a sculptor and 3D artist. I drew the figure in 2D, which he then translated into a 3D image, making the idea a beautiful reality. However, in the translation process, we encountered some problems 3D printing from the digital file, but we were working with Solid Concepts once again, so we sent it to them. The piece came out perfectly.

I presented this first physical structure to the rabbi, who suggested it be done in a rainbow colour scheme. This appealed to me greatly, and with my extensive background in colour, I wanted to utilise the brightest colours to give life to the sculpture. I designed the colours in the program Painter, and by employing multi-colour 3D printing, by way of the now rebranded ColorJet process from 3D Systems (originally ZPrinting from ZCorporation) the colours were printed directly into the plaster composite material used to produce the sculpture, rather than applied to the surface. In terms of finishing, this involved applying it with a clear coat of varnish to provide the desired variety and richness of colour as incorporated in the original digital file.
The finished piece, a cylindrical rainbow of colour, is composed of 10 circles representing the 10 Circles of Life. A grey metallic circle lines the inside representing our inner energy, the core of our existence. The physical design of the piece is simple and clean, yet bright and colourful, exemplifying the grandness of the sermon.

The completed product was gifted to the rabbi and now sits in the Temple Israel of Hollywood.