Lined up on a shelf in the 3D lab are what at first glance look like plaster sculptures: human faces, a wild boar, a bird. They are 3D prints made of PLA, a plastic material commonly used in 3D printing, says Martin Christensen, artist and adjunct lecturer in digital 3D techniques. He is responsible for the workshop and has been employed at the Royal Institute of Art since 2020.
What is your background in art, and how did you end up at the Royal Institute of Art?
– I studied the master’s program in fine arts here 2006–2011. Before that, I attended various preparatory art schools, Nyckelviksskolan and Pernby School of Painting. After my education at the Royal Institute of Art, I wanted to get more tools to work with, especially digital tools. I was interested in it but didn’t know enough, so I studied the bachelor’s program in computer and systems science with a focus on computer game development at Stockholm University. It wasn’t because I wanted to work with computer games, but to gain access to knowledge and digital tools that could expand my artistic practice. I probably had a slightly different approach than my classmates, who wanted to work in the games industry. Before attending art schools, I had been doing various projects with friends or by myself – painting and making films, theater and music.
What made you apply for the program at the Royal Institute of Art?
– When I went to Nyckelviksskolan and Pernby School of Painting, there was a lot of talk about the various art colleges. For most people, it’s a natural second step after such a preparatory education, although of course you can become a good artist without going that way. I thought it seemed perfect, because it was an environment where you could continue to develop in what I dreamed of, at a challenging and high level. It felt exciting.
Why did you choose to focus on 3D techniques?
– When I went to the Royal Institute of Art, I wasn’t really into digital 3D at all. It was more interactive installations and some video. But I was looking at these techniques, there was a 3D lab back then. I was curious about it. It looked exciting, that you could model inside the computer. I had been interested in it for a long time, but it had seemed so difficult. It was harder then than now. It was only when I left here that I took that step. My way of approaching it was a course in computer game development.
– There are many things that are fascinating about digital 3D. It gives you a kind of freedom. A lot of 3D software is often a kind of virtual simulation of our physical world, but it opens up whole new possibilities for working with everything from shape and color to complex interactive worlds. It was world-building that I longed for when I started my computer games education. That’s when I discovered how the processes and software used by game companies to build computer games can also be used as tools for artistic expression.
What inspires you in your art?
– In the creative process itself, I find it very inspiring to work with others, to collaborate on something. Magic can really happen when several people work together in a creative process.
How do you see art?
– Art can be so many different things. Art becomes a word that tries to encapsulate something in the human condition, touching on important building blocks of what we need to cope with living in a chaotic world.
What is your best advice for anyone interested in a future in the arts?
– Check out preparatory art schools and the Royal Institute of Art, contact the schools you want to get into and are interested in. Do thorough research. Ideally, you should visit the schools you are interested in. Be persistent and ask questions to staff and students. The schools I have attended are great environments, you meet like-minded people and learn a lot in a short time. I am a strong advocate for education and schools.
– But also: Remember that you can shape what you do at school and what art is by extension, what art can be. Art is a concept in constant change. What you work with can actively contribute to what art is. If you have a strong drive to express yourself and reach out to others with images, worldviews or ideas that you have and that do not fall within other frameworks – then the Royal Institute of Art is interesting to look at.
– Finally, for many working artists, a life as an artist is associated with challenges in personal finances. Keep this in mind all the way through your training to strive to have a plan and prevent a too meager existence in the future.