Walking in the Garden of Forking Paths – examining notions of 'post-­physical' printmaking in digital space

Thompson, P.; Pengelly, J.

Abstract

This paper presents findings from practice-based research, which examines notions of post-physical printmaking space through the digital medium of Augmented Reality.
Founded on questions raised through professional activities in fine art printmaking. This paper presents research which examines through contextualised artistic practice and critical enquiry how the physical and temporal parameters of digitally mediated fine art printmaking practice are being extended by developments in digital media; specifically the impact of digital culture and Augmented Reality which may lead to expanded notions of print and the possibility of ‘post-physical’ printmaking practices. It explores with specific reference to this notion of ‘post-physicality’ what impact these new modes of distribution and consumption will have on contemporary printmaking.
This paper presents current practice based research that investigates forms of digitally augmented printmaking practice, providing extended contexts for the physical print-form through image based digital augmentation: leading to new imprinted data-forms that both extend and embrace the physical spaces we inhabit and the notion of an augmented ‘post-physical’ print form. The research has employed a series of focused physical and virtual print ‘probes’ which sought to examine the underlying philosophical questions around the impact of ‘e-culture’, ‘de-materialised’ practice and emerging modes of ‘post-physical’ print-based artistic practice; set against an underlying examination of notions of indexicality within the print itself in this virtual context.
The questions this paper will explore expand arguments around, what might the physical and temporal boundaries of the digitally mediated fine art print be? What implications arise for the instigation, production, editioning, collection and ownership of post-physical’ print in the digital age? What impact will an increasingly dematerialised but networked society’s expectation play on this developing field?
NB: The paper is to be accompanied by an installation of post-physical (virtual & geolocated) prints developed through augmented reality throughout the surrounding conference environs.

Citation

Thompson, P., & Pengelly, J. (2014). Walking in the Garden of Forking Paths – examining notions of 'post-­physical' printmaking in digital space. In A. Watson, E. Shemilt, & P. Liam Harrison (Eds.), Impact 8: Borders & Crossings: the artist as explorer (1-13)

• Conference Name: Impact 8: Borders & Crossings: the artist as explorer
• Conference Location: Dundee, Scotland
• Start Date: Aug 28, 2013
• End Date: Sep 1, 2013
• Publication Date: 2014
• Deposit Date: Apr 3, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 3, 2017
• Pages: 1-13
• Book Title: Impact 8: Borders & Crossings: the artist as explorer
• ISBN: 1 899837 70 1
• Keywords: Digital culture, printmaking, post-physical, e-culture,
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/824783