A metal sculptor for 25 years, Tony Buchen transitioned to three-dimensional virtual modeling full time in 2000.

He and his collaborator, Jeralyn Goodwin, create photographs, videos, and 3-D prints of their virtual models, which can be seen at their studio and gallery in Santa Fe's Railyard Art District. Santa Fe Creative Tourism is proud to present Mr. Buchen's ongoing workshop: Made in the Future: Working in Virtual Space. For more information, please visit buchen-goodwin.com or santafecreativetourism.org.

Capo di Muro: A Work-in-Progress with Tony Buchen We asked artists to give us a glimpse of their creative process in action. Here, Tony Buchen shares some insights in the creation and development of his first virtual model to be produced as a physical sculpture: While taking a sabbatical on the island of Corsica I developed my first virtual 3D model to be produced as a physical sculpture. Walking out on the remote peninsula called Capo di Muro, I did a sketch [#1] of the rock formation shown in the photograph [#2]. From the drawing I developed a virtual model [#3] which I intended to use as the subject for a series of photographs [#4]. However, at the local village bar I overheard someone talking about a brand new RPT machine (a 3D printer) at a Corsican university nearby. I contacted the professor in charge who was delighted to have someone experiment with what was then a relatively new technology. The model was printed in ABS white plastic [#5]. I borrowed some fiberglass from a local fisherman repairing his boat, coated the plastic, sanded, spray-painted, and mounted the piece on an aluminum base [#6, 7, 8]. The virtual model continues to be used in numerous ways. It could be scaled to produce a sculpture of varying sizes and materials. Image #9 is a simulation of the sculpture in stainless steel in an outdoor setting. The model has been the subject for a large body of work which includes photographic compositions [#10] and video.

Image #1. Capo di Muro, in progress. Tony Buchen. Used with permission.

Image #2. Capo di Muro, in progress. Tony Buchen. Used with permission.

Image #3. Capo di Muro, in progress. Tony Buchen. Used with permission.

Image #4. Capo di Muro, in progress. Tony Buchen. Used with permission.

Image #5. Capo di Muro, in progress. Tony Buchen. Used with permission.

Image #6. Capo di Muro, in progress. Tony Buchen. Used with permission.

Image #7. Capo di Muro, in progress. Tony Buchen. Used with permission.

Image #8. Capo di Muro, in progress. Tony Buchen. Used with permission.

Image #9. Capo di Muro, in progress. Tony Buchen. Used with permission.

Image #10. Capo di Muro, in progress. Tony Buchen. Used with permission.

Related: Real Art in the Virtual World: Three-Dimensional Virtual Modeling with Tony Buchen Santa Fe Creative Tourism is a project of the City of Santa Fe Arts Commission. If you would like to take a workshop with Tony Buchen, or another of our 200+ artists, check out our calendar. Artists and organizations: click here if you'd like to list your workshops and other arts-related events, or to be a featured artist on our blog.