Abstract
The research interrogates the uses of AI and 3D printing to explore printmaking beyond its traditional boundaries through speculative fiction narratives feeding into creative outputs. These outputs, called Speculative Objects (SOs), envision future possibilities involving cyborg augmentation, humans, and the role of machines. A practice-based methodology, grounded in critical theory, is used to develop a grounded, creative practice. Cybernetic, Speculative and Transhuman theories were used to support artwork development. Speculative theory was adapted to create a speculative framework of making to support the creation of artwork. The journey of the research by practice concluded with an understanding of how collaboration with technology is essential to maintaining human creativity in an increasingly technological environment.Additionally, the research proposes new approaches to speculative making as a
valuable method for understanding the potential impacts of technology in a cyborg future. My practice and supporting thesis consider the broader societal and technological implications of the future, considering humanness and creativity. The research also positions printmaking as a hybrid process open to the use of new technologies, such as 3D printing, to expand it. This thesis contributes to ongoing discussions on the intersection of art, technology, and narrative, offering new directions for the future of printmaking and its societal applications.
| Date of Award | 6 Dec 2025 |
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| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Supervisor | Paul Alexander Stewart (Supervisor), Robert Burton (Supervisor) & Rachel Thomas (Supervisor) |