Michael Hansmeyer and Benjamin Dillenburger aren't your average sculptors. They don't toil, chisel in one hand and mallet in the other, for years on end — creating a one-off masterpiece. Their art is not another in the long line of homages to the human form. Instead, they tend to focus on M.C. Escher-esque landscapes and alien constructs.
Their latest work, "Digital Grotesque" is a futuristic take on the carved, sometimes frightening facades of ancient cathedrals. True to their futuristic form, Hansmeyer and Dillenburger are using 3D printers and digital rendering programs to aid in their artistic process. The result is like something out of H. R. Giger's dreams, and maybe Ellen Ripley's nightmares.
The digitally-created structures of the piece are so rich in detail that they sometimes seem to be staring back at you, their eyes hidden in a shadow here or behind a column there. This feeling will likely only grow as the project reaches completion. As of yet, the only version of "Digital Grotesque" ready for viewing is a 1:3 scale model. The full-scale installation will create a whole room, through which the viewer can walk.
That's still in the works, however. Even with a 3D printer aiding the process, constructing an entire intricately-carved room will take some doing. Especially when you've opted to cover the whole thing in gold leaf — a painstaking process that must be done by hand. Check out the gallery below to get a sense of what this massive, futuristic undertaking will look like when its complete. PHOTOS
Digital Grotesque, via designboom
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