Korean Architect Creates stunning 3D Printed Trees for Temporary Art Installation

With a background in architecture, Korean designer Se Yoon Park recently created a stunning piece of art including 3D printed trees. Contrasting influences his former rural life, made him develop an interest in issues such as light, darkness, time, and life. Experimenting with gradient light and its consequent shadows, Se Yoon arrived at this particular form for his 3D printed trees, where the play of light produces ever-changing effects.

Light, Darkness and the Tree

The project ‘Light, Darkness and the Tree’ is the result of the contemplation of the words that Park takes most seriously: light, darkness, time, and life. His work explores the transitions between light and darkness, and in his sculptures, he seeks to contain both light and darkness within an exterior, a single object. His creature consists of many smaller geometric elements and imitates the organic structure of a tree.

From ‘Concept’ to ‘Design’ to ‘Reality’

The initial design stage knew multiple media, from hand-written sketches, to handmade models, to digital 3D models in Rhino. All the parts were designed in Rhino for production on a 3D printer. The biggest challenge has been error control in retaining an accuracy in shape that was essential for the structural integrity of the overall artwork.

Advantages of 3D Printing Technology

Compared to traditional methods where material is casted away, the additive 3D printing process allows being more accurate, and it is free from shrinking issues. Moreover, it provides to work with multiple design materials and bring them together in one build.

Also, a the combination of traditional fabrication methods and 3D printing technologies might be a way forward. 3D printing is a very helpful way to rapidly turn ideas into reality, while the more mature conventional technologies can turn them into real production items.

Light and Darkness in a Sculpture

Se Yoon chose Polyamide material for his creature due to its strength, lightness, and porosity, which allowed him to structurally employ the 3D printed parts in his sculptures. It also gave him the flexibility of dyeing the pieces to explore a variety of artistic surface treatments. The translucency of Polyamide also allowed him to play with an electrical light inside his sculptures, creating the effect of a soft glow.

3D Printed Trees – The Making Of: Polyamide Materials and SLS 3D Printing

Polyamide is 3D print material that is used in combination with a process named Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). Laser Sintering 3D printers do not use a filament, as many DIY printers do. On the contrary, a very fine, granular nylon powder is heated and sintered by a laser beam within the 3D printer to create the parts.

This post was inspired by an earlier post of i.materialise, pictures are property of Se Yoon Park.