Do you love the city in which you live? Would you love to put it on the 3D printing map? With your own 3D printed artwork that represents your city in street art you could do just that, with a new competition being hosted by the three dimensional model marketplace THRE3D, who has an aim to democratise making by ‘lowering the barriers of entry into the business of making things, and placing the power of 3D printing at your fingertips.’ So, are you feeling a bit Banksy?
According to Wikipedia ‘street art is visual art created in public locations, usually unsanctioned artwork executed outside of the context of traditional art venues. The term gained popularity during the graffiti art boom of the early 1980s and continues to be applied to subsequent incarnations. Stencil graffiti, wheatpasted poster art or sticker art, and street installation or sculpture are common forms of modern street art.’
What street art may mean to some may be an unsightly annoyance of random illicit graffiti to others. What it may be to yet others is the popular and highly publicised work of Banksy, with his many subtle yet outlandish parodies of modernity and countercultural commentary that now reside anywhere from derelict buildings to art galleries. Always challenging, usually raw and distinctly unprocessed, the street artist has become a household name that many find easier to recall than the winners of the leading awards in international fine art.
In contrast one of the most iconic images of modern times, the ‘HOPE’ graphic illustration that captured the visual Zeitgeist for Barack Obama’s original campaign for the presidency of the world’s greatest democracy was created by a street artist, Shepard Fairey. Fairey’s artist origins were from the skateboarding graffitti scene, his street posters of Mr. Obama were spotted and reworked for the presidential candidacy campaign. Indeed so famous did the image become that it appeared as a cover on Time magazine.
THRE3D have laid out a wide challenge with simple rules. At its most basic: design your art, print it out, take a snap, upload it: from there the winning entries will be notified of their success. The winners will receive materials from THRE3D to the value of USD$100 for first prize, $75 for second prize, and $50 for third prize. The challenge will run until July 6th, 2014. You can check out more about the competition’s rules for entry here.
Image Credits:
THRE3D
‘Hope’ Fairey / Associated Press
