Drawing & Painting
Craig Hawkins, associate professor of art, said technology has always influenced art. At one time, the invention of the camera was seen as a threat to painters, but over the years, photography emerged as an art form in its own right.
Hawkins uses a three-dimensional scanner and printer in his figure drawing courses to scan live models and print sculptures that students can then study and draw. He said this new option is not a replacement for live figures — they are “too dynamic and too real” — but it is a new way of honoring the longstanding tradition of drawing from plaster casts.
The technology allows Hawkins to create still-life forms in complex poses that could only be held by an actual person for 30 seconds to a minute. It also allows for studies of specific hand movements or parts of the body. Since the sculptures do not move and are all one color, the lights and shadows are easier to see and study.
Craig Hawkins
“Technology can push society to reevaluate our ‘whats’ and our ‘whys,’” he said. “The art world eventually accepted the camera as another tool for creating works of art. I don’t see technology as a threat because of the constant return to questions of purpose and intention it can stir up for those who are paying attention.”
Additionally, once a person is scanned, abstract shapes and objects can be added digitally, resulting in an entirely new sculpture for students to draw.
Though the benefits of new technology are numerous, Hawkins, like Davis-Walker, cautioned against forgetting the past, saying that doing so robs artists of context.
“Culture and society change,” Hawkins said. “Wisdom, meaning, and intentions can be lost without understanding the reasons behind old traditions and technologies. References in ancient literature can be easily misunderstood for lack of context due to what would have been readily recognized in a past cultural understanding.
“There are terms and processes related to typography, letterpress, and the printmaking process that often go unnoticed but are used every day in graphic design or even word processing, like rules for spacing and leading. Even an old saying like ‘don’t forget to check your Ps and Qs’ refers to how easy it was to confuse the two letters because a letterpress was always set up as a mirror image in order for the printing process to be successful," said Hawkins.
“Understanding old traditions and technologies can allow for the responsible advancement into newer technologies and traditions with the appreciation of the past. We can stand on the structures of the past to gain a better perspective for the future. We can also lose an understanding of craftsmanship, process, and value if we aren’t careful.”