3D-Printed Paintings Of Nanomolecular Structures By Shane Hope

New York City-based artist Shane Hope creates complex and colorful 3D-printed paintings of nanomolecular structures. At World Maker Faire New York 2013, Hope showcased two of the unique pieces — Public Panopticon Powder and Computronium-Cloud Copylution — from his “Species-Tool-Beings” series.

Species-Tool-Beings could be considered sculptural reliefs, somewhere between collage and assemblage since some models are small-scale-sculptural while others are printed paper-thin yet impasto-painterly.

Painting happens throughout to reconcile the parts seamlessly. Indeed, I take care to paint much like my 3D prints.

Ideally, it should always be somewhat challenging to determine where the parts end and the paint begins. I’ve always thought paint ought to behave like scar tissue; heuristic evidence of paying dues, earning injuries and also healing. So for me, this is as much about handicrafts as it is the hyperextended hand of the artist.

We took a closer look at the unique paintings at World Maker Faire 2013: