Client: Private

Overview

Advanced manufacturing methods inspire and create beautiful artwork.

When a private citizen wanted a sculpture commissioned to liven up his residence and pay homage to the geographical location of his home, he turned to Dimensional Innovations (DI) to bring such a vision to life.

Standing 3 feet tall and stretching over 14 feet long, Meander weighs 700 pounds and was formed using PETG, the same material used in plastic water bottles. Knowing the sculpture would be installed outside and need to withstand the harsh Midwest elements, a UV resistant additive was also added to the polymer, creating the sculpture’s amber hue. A full spectrum of LEDs at the base of the installation allows the artwork to take on dynamic forms, scattering light and revealing new shapes for all to behold.

Goals

Drawing inspiration from the mighty Missouri River and understanding the river’s unique footprint on the region, the team at DI began ideating ways to showcase the natural beauty of the waterway while injecting one-of-a-kind, personalized creativity into the sculpture. They reimagined its ebbs and flows by creating an algorithm that would reflect those subtle changes, knowing that slight variants could drastically change its entire form over hundreds — and even thousands — of years.

Process

To best showcase the river’s transformation, DI utilized their in-house Large Scale Additive Manufacturing machine, one of the largest 3D printers in the United States. With each of the 180 3D-printed layers representing a different geographical variation of the river, Meander was created.