Michael Eden

Rowena very kindly put me in touch with Michael Eden, a ceramicist using digital technologies who I wrote about in my critical review. He asked me about my work and what digital technology I was using. I asked him how using the new technologies influenced his work, and what he planned to do next. I also asked what forms of rapid prototyping he was looking at.

Here is part of his reply discussing rapid prototyping...

"The French company that I am working with on the production of my pieces build them using a ZCorp machine. It uses a plaster/gypsum material that is hardened by an a non-toxic infiltrant. It can then be coated with the non-fired ceramic coating that they have developed. At present these materials are not commercially available, though at some stage this year they should be. One of their other developments is a coating that makes the moulds heat resistant (to 1500) so that they can be used for glass blowing and metal casting. Some glass companies in France are starting to experiment with this technique.

My plans are to continue designing and making new work that uses this technology, but I'm also planning to see if other RP materials are compatible with the ceramic coating."

It was really interesting to hear from him what he is exploring, even if these technologies are not available to me.