Three Views of an Object, Alyson Shotz

How can an artist use technology to create an image that nobody has ever seen before? How can a computer help us look at forms and objects in a new way?

Alyson Shotz is an artist who enjoys working in a variety of media— sculpture, digital photography, printmaking, and large-scale installations. She sees technology as a valued tool that can help her visualize her ideas and bring them to fruition. With the assistance of computer software, Shotz invites us to see things that we might never have imagined.

Shotz began work on Three Views of an Object by first creating a simple three-dimensional form in a 3D modeling software program that allowed her to manipulate the object’s shape. Using her cursor, she was able to twist an edge or grab and pull a corner so that it stretched out beyond its original borders. The computer allowed her to adjust the distance between lines, creating a rolling, undulating surface filled with highlights and shadows. Once Shotz was pleased with the form’s shape and surface, she was able to digitally spin and maneuver the object so that she could view it from many different perspectives, just as someone might do when walking around a large sculpture. Shotz selected three of those views to use for her series of prints. The images were later transferred to copper plates to be etched and printed by hand.

Challenge For Students

Make up a story about Alyson Shotz’s object. What is it? How does it move? How does it manage to change its shape? How does this ability come in handy? Shotz has said, “My work is about movement through space and changes over time.” Discuss how the computer helps the artist carry out her ideas. Visit graphicstudiousf.wordpress.com/tag/alyson-shotz/ and see how View #2 is etched on a metal plate.