American Indian Pottery and Clay 3D Printing: An Exploration of Opportunities and Risks in Professional Practice

We describe an artist residency program in which three professional American Indian potters experiment with the use of clay 3D printing in their practice. The artists navigate the opportunities and risks involved in blending 3D printing with Pueblo pottery. In our analysis, we introduce and examine three aspects of digital fabrication that impact professional practice: the practical, creative and conceptual. Practically, a digital fabrication machine may improve or worsen efficiency. Creatively, a machine can both expand and constrain the kinds of work artists can make. Finally, a machine can be conceptually significant; the use of the machine can change what a piece means and how it is perceived. We found that clay 3D printers: 1) are labor intensive to operate and do not improve efficiency; 2) can present new and compelling creative opportunities; 3) are conceptually fraught. The use of a 3D printer can profoundly change the way work is received and valued. We discuss the entangled mix of opportunity and risk that these aspects of clay 3D printing present.