daniel warnecke 3D prints modern day depictions of classic portraits

daniel warnecke 3D prints modern day depictions of classic portraits
image courtesy of daniel warnecke

using cutting edge technology, artist daniel warnecke has transformed a series of iconic portraits from the past into modern-day depictions, realized in the form of 3D printed figurines. these famous faces include the girl with the pearl earring, a self-portrait of vincent van gogh, and a legendary photo of mick jagger wearing a fur hood. warnecke creates a dialog between history and modernity by reinventing these figures through a contemporary lens, donning them in ripped jeans, sneakers, and track suits as opposed to their usual attire. 

‘by creating modern incarcerations of famously known and iconic portraits using 3D printing, I am able to engage the audience by showing them something very familiar and recognizable but in a completely new way of viewing,’ warnecke says. ‘this starts to open questions and makes the viewer start to reassess and consider the original sitters once again. by having a 360 degree view over the 3D printed figurine, nothing is left to hide and all of the elements which could have created subjective tendencies have been removed such as camera angle, crop, size and lighting.’

3D printed interpretation of vermeer’s ‘girl with a pearl earring’
image courtesy of gxgallery

the photographic objects have been realized through an intensive and intimate scanning process, where a sitter is captured using 240 DSLR cameras. this process results in a 3-dimensional file which can then be manipulated and printed in the physical world. finally, these sculptural pieces are photographed and C-type printed to the exact size of the original artworks. ‘the sitters are shown in two different viewing styles: one sculptural — in which the audience is forced to consider the entirety of the form, as it holds complex spatial dimensions which unfold in the space; and the printed image — which the artist or photographer has their own subjective impressions into the viewer’s engagements through print size, crop, angle and lighting techniques. this method of thinking and viewer engagement is to make a comment on the way we perceive the 3D printed figurines as a form of portraiture.’

warnecke presents the series ‘subject to impression chapter 2’ — the second installment of the project featuring 15 newly printed famous artworks — at gx gallery, camberwell beginning may 4th, 2016.

warnecke’s 3D printed incarnation of diane arbus’ photo of identical twins (see the original image here)
image courtesy of daniel warnecke

the iconic photo of the young idential twin girls has been reimagined through 3D printing technology 
image courtesy of gxgallery

3D printed version of vincent van gogh’s self-portrait from 1889 (see the original here)
image courtesy of daniel warnecke

van gogh is printed in a blazer and denim jeans 
image courtesy of gxgallery

3D printed interpretation of ‘the blue boy’ by thomas gainsborough (see the original here)
image courtesy of daniel warnecke

‘the blue boy’ has been imagined in a track suit, rather than knee breeches and a lace collar 
image courtesy of gxgallery

3D printed rendition of the photo of mick jagger in a fur hood by david bailey (see the original here)
image courtesy of daniel warnecke

the 3D interpretation involved warnecke’s strong direction over the sitter being scanned
image courtesy of gxgallery

a contemporary take of magritte’s ‘the son of man’ painting (see the original here)
image courtesy of daniel warnecke

the 3D printed version features an apple label covering the figures head, which refers to the original painting 
image courtesy of gxgallery

3D printed rendition of a portrait of ernest hemingway by yousuf karsh (see the original here)
image courtesy of daniel warnecke

the 3D printed portrait combines new technologies with old traditions
image courtesy of gxgallery