3D Printing: The Future of Elevation Instrument Design
Printabowl Creates Design-Minded Water Pipes Using 3D Printing Technology
January 12, 2016 – Printabowl, that produces elevation instruments for the fledgling community of legitimate cannabis enthusiasts, uses 3D printing technology to create some of the first high-quality, design-minded water pipes.
Inspired by Washington state’s recreational cannabis legalization in November 2012, brothers Al (26) and Saul Jacobs (24) began developing Printabowl while pursuing arts degrees at the University of Washington.
They reimagined water pipe designs as functional sculptures in architecting Printabowl’s premiere Cumulo Collection, featuring three distinct designs in closed editions. Using 3D printing technology, an unconventional production method, allows Printabowl to explore experimental water pipe designs as elevation instruments.
“We think of these as pieces of functional sculpture. They’re made to exist and enhance the space we inhabit, not to be tucked away in a cabinet or in a shoebox under your bed,” Printabowl co-Director Saul Jacobs said. “We’re excited to be a part of further introducing this aspect of counterculture into everyday life.”
Printabowl’s closed-edition Cumulo Collection is officially available on January 12, 2016. Starting at $300, peruse the collection online at www.printabowl.co
ABOUT 3D PRINTING: 3D Printing is a technique that turns a computer-generated, three-dimensional model into a physical object, most often by sequentially layering matter. Printabowl utilizes ceramic 3D printing technology to challenge design limitations previously imposed by conventional production methods, producing visually evolved pieces as a result. Printabowl uses a 3D-printed ceramic molding process to ensure the highest attainable material quality. Printabowl’s models are printed as molds, which are then filled with ceramic material and left to harden. The mold is then removed before the hardened objects are fired in a kiln, glazed, then fired again to produce the finished piece.
DESIGN: Printabowl’s unique designs manifest organic forms inspired from crystals or liquids into functional objects. Guided by the design principle that complex forms necessitate uncomplicated textures and vice versa, Printabowl’s inaugural Cumulo Collection balances form and function with three distinct pieces, each a closed edition produced in ceramic.
Pieces, from left:
Alpha, ceramic, 7.75 in, 19.68 cm, closed edition of 20, $300 – Conceptualized in homage to ancient hand-spun ceramic ware fabrication, Alpha‘s minimalist form, manifest in its subtle striations, exudes a serene elegance.
Ferro, ceramic, 7.75 in, 19.68 cm, closed edition of 10, $325 – Inspired from ferrofluid, a dynamic liquid reactive to magnetic forces, Ferro acts as a prologue to the design possibilities excited by 3D printing with a pronounced textural appeal.
Tessellate, ceramic, 7.75 in, 19.68 cm, closed edition of 20, $300 – Tessellate‘s angular geometry recalls the naturally sharp angles characteristic of smokey quartz, a semiprecious crystal renowned for its ethereal grounding properties. Replicating the positive essence that informs smokey quartz’s metaphysical allure, Tessellate roots the Cumulo collection with its imaginative form founded from Earth’s agency as a matter-shaping entity.
ABOUT PRINTABOWL: A project by two brothers fascinated by the balance between form and function, Printabowl reimagines elevation instrument design and production, creating practical pieces of fine art that challenge the limitations previously imposed by conventional production techniques. Inspired by the possibilities opened by 3D printing technology, Printabowl’s design team uses this newly accessible technology to manifest visually evolved elevation instruments, allowing these designs to exist for the first time. Embracing experimental design, Printabowl advances the formal and textural boundaries that previously limited elevation instruments, allowing many collectors to interact with useful objects created using 3D printing for the first time. Printabowl’s debut Cumulo Collection features three distinct ceramic designs produced in closed editions. Each elevation instrument undergoes thorough inspection to ensure standard-exceeding quality and durability as pieces of fine art, physical manifestations of 3D printing’s earliest impact on smoking culture. For more information, visit printabowl.co
ABOUT PRINTABOWL CO-DIRECTORS, AL & SAUL JACOBS:
Separated by two years, Al and Saul Jacobs (ages 26 and 24) developed Printabowl while pursuing art degrees (in creative writing and interdisciplinary visual arts, respectively) at the University of Washington in Seattle. Inspired by a science-centered course on creativity and innovation, Al & Saul started Printabowl to nourish their shared appreciation of design in lieu of Washington state’s recreational cannabis legalization. Both brothers are musicians who frequently collaborate.
Al Jacobs
Co-Director
Printabowl
419.705.0203
