If you’ve been keeping up with our social media lately, we’ve had a lot of new projects released. One of which is the largest printed mosaic 3D art piece in our showroom and we’re excited to share the details! Instead of doing the usual blog, we thought it’d be a great time to do a little Q&A with the artists themselves, Mark Swart and Cameron Williams.
Who are you and what do you do at Purple Platypus?
MS: Mark Swart, CEO
CW: My name is Cameron Williams. I’m the Senior Research & Development Engineer at Purple Platypus.
What is your background?
MS: I spent 25 years as a VP of Product Development and Research & Development before coming to Purple Platypus.
CW: I have 7 years of 3D printing experience in multiple printing technologies ranging from desktop 3D printers to full capability industrial machines. I’ve developed my design skills specifically for use with 3D printing technology.
Describe what inspired you to create this piece?
MS: We wanted to create a piece that not only elevated our branding but was also extremely unique, cool and eye catching. Like many interesting pieces of art, this piece has multiple levels of appeal. It first draws you in with its large Platypus icon and bold colors. But as you move towards it, you’re drawn further in by the intricate details and micro patterns. We have people that visit our lobby constantly commenting on it and asking questions about it. In that way we feel it is a success. Recently, we’ve also had customers now request that we create a piece for them with their logo, branding and color choices. Since the pieces are 3D printed each one can be created with custom dimensions, patterns, and colors. It’s very exciting for us to see people connect with an idea we created here.
What did you use to create your piece and why did you choose that method?
CW: We used our Stratasys Objet260 Connex3 for its high resolution and full color capabilities. Since vibrant color was a requirement for this project, there was no better option.
How long did it take to design?
MS: There was a significant amount of time put into the details and intricacies of the piece. The great thing is, now we have it in our database and we can use the basic design building blocks to design totally new works in a fraction of the time. The print time for new pieces will depend on the size of course.
Cameron stands 6’5” tall next to this beautifully designed art piece. Was it printed all in one piece?
MS: No, it’s not printed in one piece. We designed it in sections, maximizing the print area of one of our smaller printers. We did it this way to give us design freedom for future builds. We can now print things in a single color, or a multitude of colors. Clear or opaque; Solid or rubber. Or any combination of all of these. The piece can be rectangular, round or freeform. Practically anything a customer could think of.
What makes this piece different or unique from traditional art pieces aside from it being 3D printed?
CW: It is a combination of 3-dimensional and 2-dimensional design structure. Moving your own viewpoint about the piece allows you to experience it in different ways. What one person sees from one angle will differ from what another person sees.
Can this piece be purchased?
MS: Absolutely. It didn’t start out that way but we quickly saw the interest. The piece can be ordered to include any logo, image or message in an infinite combination of colors, shapes and sizes.
And there you have it, from the designers themselves. We’re excited to see what designs our customers will dream up to 3D print.
For more information on purchasing this piece or to customize your own, please contact us.
