"…at 25 I stumbled upon an environment where I could create my own world. With free 3D software as pivot I had the freedom to create my "own realm" with my rules"

macouno (Dolf Veenvliet) is a multi-talented artist using new media to create his digital characters, with an end product consisting of powerful still images, and moving pictures. Within these bounds of the digital domain, he goes further creating his work while also cooperating with fellow artists.

Dolf has studied at the Royal Art academy (KABK), in The Hague, Institutt for billedkunst - Kunstakademiet i Trondheim, Norway and AKI, Enschede where he obtained a degree in monumental Art in 1999. He also has several degrees in audio technique, he is a certified Blender 3D educator and W3C web developer. Dolf lives and works in Amerongen.

  http://macouno.com/projects/42-skulls/

A post industrial series of 42 unique pieces. 

The symbolism of skulls in art is a representation of death or mortality. In this series the 42 Skulls are used as a symbol of the transience of the second decade in the 21st century. At this point in time we find ourselves at the end of the industrial age and on the brink of something new.

In the industrial age we created everything in manifold. You don't make a single cup, but a million because only then does it become affordable, efficient or even possible to do so. To make a product you need a very expensive mold, and it only pays to make one if you sell a great many identical copies.

After the industrial age, something else will come. This time is heralded by the onset of 3D printing technology. The Skulls are made using this early 21st century technique.

The process and design was refined in a period spread over three years (2014-2017). The shape and size of the skulls is such that one fits exactly inside a printer (it can not be made bigger), and it can be printed precisely in a single working day. The shape of the Skull is optimised so it takes advantage of the 3D Printing technique and avoids its shortcomings.

The shape in this series is a constant. Like the cups manufactured in the industrial age... they are all the same. Except with 3D printing we can customise and make every object unique... the skulls all have one of a kind colour patterns manually inserted in the 3D printing process. 

The pieces are made at a very specific point in history and can only have been made 'now'. It was technically not possible to make them earlier. In the years after this project the technology will make printing in 3D easier, but this will also change the material, visual language and style of the work. This makes this series a representation of the period they were made in. A time capsule. A memento mori of the early 21st century.