Modern advances in engineering and machinery have meant that so much more is available to the average consumer than in any other point in history. Unfortunately, our ability to produce just about anything en masse means there is often the perception that the individuality of both the designers and the consumers of goods has been stamped out. This is not the case though, as artists and designers are now using the same technologies as manufacturers to create unique artworks.
British artist Gareth Neal, who specialises in exhibition furniture and objets d’art, uses 3D design software to develop his ideas and computer numerical control (CNC) machinery to produce the pieces. One of his most well-known pieces the American walnut table “Anne”, which is now part of the Crafts Council collection and is based on the Queen Anne-style of the 18th century. Through the use of sophisticated manufacturing technology, Neal was able to produce the complex design of the table with a quickness and precision that would have been difficult to match with manual processes.
Such technologies are now ubiquitous in modern manufacturing and allow unprecedented levels of accuracy in design and efficiency in production that were previous unachievable. CNC, the production process Neal used to create “Anne”, is a specialism in CNC precision engineering dealing with machine operation and is a type of computer-aided manufacturing (CAM). CAM software can be used to drive manufacturing tools or assist in all operations of the a manufacturing plant, including planning, management, transportation, and storage.
With CNC however, computer programs are specifically written so that the code translates into the movement of various automated machine parts in the manufacturing process. Such programs are often created following design work undertaken using computer-aided design (CAD) software, itself now frequently used in the design of anything from houses to cars to space station components.
While it may be true that modern manufacturing technologies have led to the cliché of cheap Swedish furniture in every suburban household, artists and designers are now demonstrating that the merit of these advances lies in how we choose to use them.
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