At the intersection of the digital and analog, as well as design and tools, sit the works of Olivier van Herpt. An industrial design graduate of the Design Academy Eindhoven, he is interested in the interplay between digital tools and their physical output, and is constantly tinkering with methods and means of production to yield new and interesting designs. Challenged by the limits of 3D-printing technology, van Herpt successfully designed a 3D printer that can not only produce larger forms, but also work with ceramics instead of just plastics. He has used this to print various pottery collections that blur the line between what is made by the human hand and the machine—a beautiful showcase of the craft of digital manufacturing. For van Herpt, design is not a closed practice, and he wants to create machines and tools that empower others to create as well. He hopes that as the technology becomes accessible to many, the beauty of 3D-printed objects will blossom.
