Bridging the gap

Abstract

This paper illustrates some of the outcomes from research carried out by the main author as art jeweller in the Laser Processing Research Centre (LPRC) in the School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering at The University of Manchester. The work shows examples of surface marking of titanium using a 60 W CO2 10.6 μm laser for the production of jewellery and observes the effects caused by heat delivered to the titanium substrate. Points are addressed such as the distance created between artist and technology, allowing ‘accidents’ to happen in a necessarily precise and safe environment and the need for closer communication between disciplines in order to understand the potential of emerging technologies for art and design