Designer Spotlight: Benjamin Cann - Shapeways Blog

Designer Spotlight: Benjamin Cann

February 1, 2016

For this weeks designer spotlight, we are excited to feature Benjamin Cann, a very inspiring shop owner with designs we could stare at for days. Benjamin has a lot of different designs, pushing the boundaries of 3D printing in really beautiful and fun ways. Hear about his process and inspiration below.

Tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? Where are you located?

I am a French mechanical engineer, based in Germany. I used to work in various sectors such as material & process research, aerospace, jewelry industry and now in automotive engineering. Besides my day job, I have been continuously learning by myself 3D design techniques, making prototypes and any kind of projects involving advanced methods. Some projects are fully personal, other more contests oriented in order to frame more my creativity. Indeed, I won a couple of 3D Printing contests in the past years. Another of my passions is photography. I have been shooting film for 5 years now and it’s a great way for me to cut with all-digital, instant results. I take a lot of patience to shoot what inspires me at a certain moment. It allowed me to have some exhibitions and commissioned works in the last 3 years.

What’s the story behind your designs? What inspires you?

The most advantage of 3D printing is to produce very complex parts easily at a relative low cost. My first vision of this technology is to use it fully to create elaborate shape that never existed before, or only made by artisans. Great pieces of art or sculptures are expensive, and that is logic, because the artist or artisan should be capable to live from it but can only produce a few exemplars of well-crafted objects. It is a kind of digital craftsmanship. I think that 3D printing also opens the possibility to make art and “crafted” objects more accessible. With my designs, I tried to explore these possibilities with detailed and organic designs. I am influenced by all kind of patterns that give a visual dynamic the shape. From mandalas to wild style graffitis, I am trying to use these graphic codes in more voluminous way. Animals and their symbolism is also a major source of inspiration.

How do you promote your work?

I have created a Facebook page and a Pinterest account to share my 3D printing works. I have also business cards. It is always nice to have when you meet people interested in your works.

Who are your favorite designers or artists? Who in the Shapeways community has served as an inspiration to you?

One of my favorite artist is Moebius, aka Jean Giraud. The world depicted in his drawing always fascinated me. It is living, one of a kind and atemporal. Sculptors are also a great source of inspiration for me. Like Wim Delvoye, Eva Hild or Anish Kapoor. They are simple geniuses! In the Shapeways community, Bathseeba was a great source of inspiration. Mixing maths, art and technology with iconic designs. My favorite of her design is the whelk. It is like an alien animal! There is a lot of talented people on Shapeways, like Jeremie Brunet, Oskar, Nervous System...

If you weren’t limited by current technologies, what would you want to make using 3D printing?

Bigger prints in Full color materials and at lower price. The current technologies already allow to print big parts, but it is very costly and time expensive when you reach a certain volume. I would love to make more wall art like my 3D Graffitis in a bigger scale.

Anything else you want to share?

I am always wondering how to reach more people with designs. In fact, the conversion rate of my shop is quite high but the total of daily visitor could be much higher. I am looking for opportunities to showcase my designs in stores or find some retailers. I think that a Shapeways store will a be a great way to attract more people and announce the coming age of 3D printing. Or maybe propose a license to pop-stores.

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT THIS SHOP:

Thanks so much, Benjamin! Very exciting to hear about your process and background behind these amazing designs! Don’t forget to follow along and take a look at his shop, Facebook, Pinterest and Tumblr. To be featured, email aimee @ shapeways.com.