ACTIVE INLAY STUDIES

Ongoing Research and Development

Inlay refers to a material or element embedding within a different material in such a way that both material surfaces coincide. Inlay commonly consists of a primary (typically three-dimensional) object and a secondary (relatively thin) material.

However, its definition does not explicitly call for such a hierarchical approach, nor does it suggest that either of the materials are limited in their three-dimensionality. Sectional objects, for example, often expose elements, giving the impression of an inlay, while in reality that perceived inlay exists as a much larger, more three-dimensional object (but one that has been obscured or distorted as a result of the section cut). This work exploits the ambiguity of this definition - exploring the idea of inlay as a more three-dimensional issue- one that at times conveys its two-dimensional figural qualities, and at other times exists as a fully three-dimensional element.