I have chosen to work with a 3D-printed bear. This bear is all black and features evidence of being 3D-printed through its thin plastic filament layers. The bear is about 6 inches long and 3 inches tall. It is posed standing on all four legs looking straight ahead. It is most likely depicting an American black bear. This object was likely designed to be decorational; for example, one can imagine purchasing the bear in order to display it on a desk or shelf. It could have also served as a children’s toy due to its small size and friendly animal appeal.
As a wild animal, the bear denotes connections to nature and the environment. Symbolically, the bear represents many different qualities according to different cultures and belief systems. For example, in Indigenous cultures of the Americas, bears are thought of as master healers and keepers of knowledge. In Norse mythology, however, bears are known for their powerful strength, endurance, and ferocity. In Greek mythology, bears are linked to motherhood and protection, as well as cycles of regeneration due to their hibernation periods.
The bear reminds me of teddy bears, which are one of the most common animals turned into stuffed animal toys. The teddy bear obviously drew inspiration from real bears, and has since been made and reiterated by different companies for many years. This, in turn, made me think about the cycle and evolution of the toy industry. Figurine animals have existed since 5000 BCE when Mesopotamian artists crafted them for religious and good luck purposes. Later in the 1880s, the first modern stuffed animal was created. The human fascination with creating small animal models is intriguing to me. Moreover, the captivation with teddy bears is especially curious.
In this project, I want to explore the popularity of the bear motif, particularly highlighting its regenerative symbolism. As aforementioned, the bear imagery has been appropriated into the teddy bear, which has been continuously re-envisioned, created, and sold by toy companies for years. To add to this cyclical theme, the bear has been associated with regeneration and rebirth due to its tendency to hibernate in winter. Therefore, I want to emphasize the rebirth quality that bears carry. The ideas that I want to avoid are depicting the bear as possessing brutal strength or having violent dispositions. I feel that this is quite cliche and difficult to portray since the expression of the 3D-printed bear is neutral.
