Catenary Pottery Printer

gt2P explores how to create standard machines that generate non-standard results, mixing analog numerical control with traditional material and technique.

What if Parametric is not digital?
What is Parametric is analogous?
What if Parametric is more about materiality and forces?

This is part of an exploration on how to create standard machines that generate non-standard results, mixing analog numerical control with traditional material and techniques integrated in one real-time process, suggesting that the parametric design is not necessarily a digital computation methodology.

For this purpose, Great things to People work in the translation of computational logics and automations process in the material world through an analog machine that allow them articulating physical variables in real time, as gravity, fluid weight, fabric tensions, size and material, position and number of anchor points in XYZ, horizontal limit to get a flat bottom, slipcasting volumes, dry times, pottery viscosity, type of potteries (ceramic, gres, porcelain, etc.), water quantity, thickness of shell, etc.

Crossing these formal and material results with some functions they create tableware, candle holders, hanging lights and appliques, for example. They even have the possibility to change scale and produce larger objects, as tables, stools, mirrors, etc., using wax instead of pottery for lost wax casting processes (aluminum, brass, cooper) or catalyzed resin and so on.

For this first exploration gt2P create some containers test using three kinds of fabrics (Gauze, Muslin and Lycra) and two kinds of potteries (Gres and Translucent porcelain).

This project gives gt2P a new scope “More parametric, less digital”, allowing them to speak about parametric design without computers and digital fabrication laboratories which generates dialogues from academic contexts to communities of artisans.