– What does it mean to be a maker? What value do we hold in objects and especially in craft objects? In his last semester, Topher Gent is questioning our relationship to man-made and machine-made objects. He is about to open the mold of a vase that started the experimental journey towards his soon-to-be-finished master project; a process that started with his body weight of clay on a ceramics wheel and ended in 3D-printing, casting molds in silicone and plaster, and finally porcelain.
– It all started with so much handmade stuff in the beginning and now it is starting to slowly step further away from my hands in a way. The good thing about working on a computer is that I am able to put the whole mold together before I even start working by hand. It's definitely a different way of working, but in a sense, it is actually more hyper-focused because I really control the details more. Beyond the technical advantages, incorporating digital processes and refinement create a new conceptual framework. But I think there is something quite valuable in starting off making things by hand. If I were to rewind, that's actually where it all started.