Annie Cattrell, Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)

• Creation Date:Thursday 5th June, 2008

Summary

The Glasgow born artist Annie Cattrell has a fascination with making the hidden structures and systems of life visible. Her subjects stem from her interest in areas such as neuroscience, anatomy and nature, and her work often bridges the divide between art and science.

“I capture moments in time, though they are moments of time in generations; rhythms which are always happening.”

Annie is eclectic in her techniques, and some of her work employs new technologies. Though a research fellowship with the Arts and Humanities Research Council she explored the use of rapid prototyping in sculpture.

“Digital technology offers an interesting new way of representing reality, close to 3D photography. It allows certain freedoms that making something by hand doesn’t offer, and there is a uniqueness about the quality,” she says.

Her first rapid prototyped piece was a model of her own heart, ‘Centred’, from an MRI scan.

“The heart is iconic, the centre of our visceral identity. By focusing on it, with everything else is removed, people can contemplate larger issues of mortality. I also chose the heart because it takes in oxygen, making us part of the outside world. We think we have boundaries, but we are not completely autonomous.”

She was very interested in the manner in which the data was captured by MRI. The scan shows strange pixilated vortexes surrounding the heart. Nobody knows for sure what causes this; it may be that the force of blood pumped by the heart affects the surrounding area.

“An issue for many sculptors is how to create movement in a static material and imbue it with life. These artifacts describe movement, describe noise. It’s difficult to know what’s anatomy and what’s slightly altered through technology, and I like that.”

Rapid prototyping seemed an entirely appropriate way to build a sculpture using data from a medical scan, since the technique is used in orthopedics and dentistry. Also, the polyamide used in Selective Laser Sintering resembles the quality of plaster, being neutral and white, and this appealed to Annie.

“The work became very tonal and the 3D MRI scan very visible, with really good definition. The powder acted as an armature, with all the outer pieces held together. The heart doesn’t look like a specimen in a jar, but something which is alive.”

Following her experience of building the heart, Annie used rapid prototyping again, to produce a larger than life sized lily, entitled ‘Last’.

“The lily is a traditional emblem of mortality, iconic imagery used in art showing something passing – it is opulent, its stamens protruding, something in its maximum state. Unlike in people, its structure reveals its ergonomics.”

Annie made the lily quite large, [approx size?]– the maximum size the machine could produce.

“I was impressed by the quality – the tiny detail, the fragility. But if touched, it wouldn’t snap off immediately. It also references the appearance of marble, a traditional sculptural material.”

Annie made both ‘Centred’ and ‘Last’ at Metropolitan Works, London’s first Creative Industries Centre, set up specifically to support artists and designers in exploring digital technologies. Annie sees the value of having a centre dedicated to helping creative people experiment with new technology:

“I think it is very important to make connections between digital work and three dimensional pieces, whether you are a designer or a fine artist. It allows artists to make models or prototypes and is a vital tool.

Rapid prototyping means you can make something swiftly. There is a lot which can be done using digital 3D information on the computer, which could not be achieved any other way. It is interesting because although everything looks very precise, it can become an experiment when working with the computer.”

Of her experience at Metropolitan Works, she comments:

“I found Ed Alves at Metropolitan Works very helpful and aware, clear about how much it would cost, and how long the jobs would take. It was all done very quickly, taking just three days to complete each piece.”

‘Centred’ and ‘Last’ were shown in a solo exhibition at The Anne Faggionato Gallery in 2006. Annie Cattrell exhibited in a group show at the Victoria and Albert Museum, and won the Bombay Sapphire prize at Milan Design Week this year. She is currently working on a commission for the Forest of Dean Sculpture Trust.

To view more of Annie Cattrell’s work visit her website www.anniecattrell.com