14 DAY TRIAL // The word “art” means something else to everyone, not counting the textbook definition anyway. The latest creations from artist Adam Lister and 3D printing specialist Isaac Budmen definitely prove this.
Well, "creations" is half-right, because the two weren't completely original when they put together the 8 Bits, 3 Dimensions collection.
Instead, they took certain, famous paintings as the starting point and set about creating replicas in 8-bit quality.
So you might say that they took a scan or picture of a real-life painting, used software to convert it into 8-bit quality, then 3D printed the results.
You can see said results in the images on the left. Pieces include Leonardo Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" and Grant Wood's "American Gothic."
"It does have kind of a retro feel to it, that was definitely what I was going for," Lister said. "It includes that 8 bit style from the 70s and 80s and blends with the cubist style from Picasso, going back 100 years ago."
Well, it's rather more blocky and symmetrical than anything Picasso ever made, but we suppose there is some resemblance. Besides, these are sculptures, or prints, not paintings, so some allowances can be made in descriptions.
To achieve the 8-bit prints, Lister paints iconic images in acrylic paint or watercolors, then reduces them to the cubic style of first-generation computer and video games.
Everyone who was at least of kindergarten age back in the nineties will likely know what we are referring too.
Budmen then photographs each of Lister's painting and hand renders every pixel in the picture, after which he converts the image into an .STL file and sends it to Shapeways to be 3D printed in colored sandstone.
"Someone else had one of Adam's paintings as his profile picture," Budmen said. "I saw it and was like, 'Wow that's amazing! who is that artist?' I love what he does with perception. I am one of Adam's biggest fans. When I saw his work, I immediately said, 'That has to be 3D printed!'"
