Additively manufactured trophy for Art Couture Painswick winner
8 September 2016
Global engineering company Renishaw has supported the Art Couture Painswick Festival, which took place on July 17th, 2016, by sponsoring the overall ‘best in show' award. Independent designer Vikki Lafford Garside who scooped this year's Simply the Best award with her underwater-themed wearable art design and was presented with an ornate additively manufactured trophy. The stunning titanium Venetian mask, designed by product artist Lionel Theodore Dean will be displayed alongside the winning outfit in the Painswick Centre.
Gloucestershire company Renishaw became a sponsor of Arts Couture Painswick (ACP) in 2013 and has supported the local charity by being involved in the festival every year.
The trophy was produced using a Renishaw AM250 additive manufacturing system that works by selectively laser melting hundreds of thin layers of powdered metal to create complex structures. After being built the trophy was then finished, polished and mounted onto a stand, which was also additively manufactured.
"Despite popular belief, science, technology, engineering and maths are deeply creative disciplines," explained Chris Pockett, Head of Communications at Renishaw. "There are many artists in the UK and abroad that use the latest technology to push the boundaries of design and inspire the next generation of artists and engineers alike. At Renishaw, we encourage creativity and innovation across industries, so we are very happy to work with a charity that supports local artists and designers."
This year's Simply the Best winner, Vikki Lafford Garside has attended Art Couture Painswick every year since its debut, selling her hand-crafted accessories at the festival.
"Every year I would see the parade of entrants walking past and, this year, I wanted to give it a go myself," commented Garside. "We were instructed to create a piece of wearable art that was 'underwater' themed. I've always been interested in the coral reefs and it upsets me to see them threatened by pollution, rising sea temperatures and reduced oxygen in the sea water.
"My dress featured an Elizabethan-style collar that was made to look like coral. This was bleached white to highlight its poor condition. I added plastic bottles and bags to the garment to represent the pollution that is putting this unique eco-system at risk."
The trophy and the winning garment will be on show at the Painswick Centre for the next twelve months.
