Sculpting between the digital and physical

As we immerse ourselves further into an ever-increasing digital world…we might question what separates life on the screen from reality itself. Audrey Large, winner of Young Designer at the Dutch Design Awards 2021, uses her work to dissolve the boundaries between the digital and physical. Creating 3D sculptures that emulate a synergy between human experience and digital processing.

Audrey’s creative journey commences with meticulous motion-tracking, analysing her own movements using 3D objects. This synthesis of human motion and digital elements gives rise to distinct glitches that come to define the essence of her artwork.  As she traverses the domains of physical movement and hyper-sensitive computer processes, Audrey adeptly captures the idiosyncrasies and delicacy inherent in human touch. What sets Large’s work apart is her ability to render the seemingly paradoxical realms of humanity and digital technology as interchangeable. The intangible aspects of digitisation are transformed into sculptures that exude life, motion, and vibrant colours. We look into the ambiguity of her artwork to unravel elements that resonate with us amidst the seemingly infinite cyber vortex.

Continuing the exploration into the intersection of digital and physical realms Audrey has a new collection titled “Moments of Transfer.” This series of lamps delves into the solidification of digital images, drawing analogies between CGI rendering techniques and digital manufacturing processes. The digitally hand-sculpted 3D files undergo a hardening process through UV light using SLA 3D printing. Simultaneously, image-textures downloaded from online libraries are applied as a skin through water-dipping processes, creating a dynamic interplay between liquid and solid states. This project addresses the concept of simulation underlying the realm of digital images and its profound implications for the way we perceive reality.

Together, these works push the boundaries of conventional artistic and design practices, inviting us to contemplate the e volving relationship between the tangible and intangible, the physical and the digital, and ultimately challenging our understanding of reality in an increasingly digitised era.