3D PRINTING INNOVATIONS RESHAPING TRADITIONAL SCULPTURAL METHODS IN CONTEMPORARY VISUAL CULTURE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v7.i4s.2026.7479Keywords:
3D Printing, Additive Manufacturing, Sculpture, Digital Fabrication, Contemporary Visual Culture, Hybrid Art Practices, Generative Design, CAD Modeling, Material Innovation, Artistic CreativityAbstract [English]
The whole process of sculpture has been transformed significantly with the invention of the 3D printing technology, and has re-evaluated the relation of art, material or digital innovation and provided more significance to the contemporary visual culture. The paper examines how additive manufacturing affects the traditional sculpture in that it presents new ways of creativity, precision and effectiveness in production. It begins with discussing the transformation of old methods of sculpture and integration with digital fabrication technology such as Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and 3D printing technology (Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) and Stereolithography (SLA)). A comprehensive literature review describes the current trends of the digital art practices, material innovation and composite creative processes. This paper derives an idea of a hybrid form of traditional craftsmanship and the digital act of creation with the emphasis on the hybrid sculptural process. A case-implementation is used in the paper to illustrate the practical implementation and effectiveness of the framework. The standard sculpture and 3D sculpture are compared based on the factors such as the time efficiency, cost, precision and creativity. The findings reveal that 3D printing enhances precision, repeatability and more intricacy of designs, yet the conventional methods offer a richness of touch and a depth of expression. The study also addresses limitation issues including material constraints and consideration of the artistic authenticity.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Leena Deshpande, Neha Jitesh Zade, Swapnil Chandrakant Mane, Wei Li, Shalini E, Anitha M
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