If you’re a fan of graffiti and street art, you’ve almost certainly heard of Banksy – and even if you haven’t, you’ve seen his work whether you realized it or not. The British street artist is famous for his distinctive stenciled graffiti and satirical social and political commentary, which he has left on walls and other surfaces everywhere from New York to Israel’s West Bank. He has been called both a genius and a vandal, and has created installations, books, films, and countless pieces of street art while still keeping his (or her?) identity a secret.
Having made his pseudonymous mark in so many other forms of media, it’s no surprise that his work has now made it into 3D printing. Render3Dart is a Chicago-based startup created by three art enthusiasts who asked the question: when it comes to displaying art within the home, why should your walls get to have all the fun? So they decided to start a company for the purpose of creating 3D printed renderings of famous pieces of art.
Billing the company as “a never before seen fusion of art and technology,” Render3Dart promises that your coffee tables, desks, and TV stands will soon feel included as venues for displaying masterpieces.
The first artist to get the 3D treatment is Banksy, and hi
s work is the basis of the Kickstarter campaign Render3Dart has launched. By November 3rd, the company hopes to raise $10,000 and begin shipping in time for Christmas. Printed in high-quality multi-color sandstone, some of Banksy’s most well-known works have been recreated as 2- to 3-inch-tall figurines.
The first printed set includes Mona Lisa, Flower Chucker, I Love NY Rat, Pulp Fiction, Injured Buddha, and Laugh Now Monkey. Backers who pledge at least $45 to the campaign will receive their choice of one of the six pieces, which the company estimates at a retail price of $85. Donate $85 and you’ll get two for the price of one, while a pledge of $160 or more gets you your choice of four. $255 will get you a full set of six. Early bird rewards are slated to be shipped by November 20th, with the rest to follow by the 30th.
The 3D printed models were rendered using Photoshop, Zbrush 4r7, 3Ds Max, Blender, and Maya. The team assures buyers that each print is quality checked twice, and that their models were perfected after going through several prototypes.
If the campaign is successful, Render3Dart hopes to begin rendering the works of other artists into 3D printed form.
“With the success of our Kickstarter campaign we hope to bring to life many more 3D renderings of 2D art, so we can do our part to push the boundaries of possibility in the art world,” the company says. “What better artist than Banksy, a man who made a name for himself by taking thought provoking art into places where it ‘should not be’, to represent us as our first featured artist.”
Render3Dart can be followed on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
What are your thoughts on these 3D prints? Let us know in the Banksy Street Art forum thread on 3DPB.com.
