Art is truly in the eye of the beholder and comes in many shapes and forms. We were recently re-inspired by this phrase while working on a large custom art project that came our way. Architecture student, Richard Quittenton came to ArtisanHD with quite the vision and we were determined to make it a reality.

“The most enjoyable thing about art and architecture is that it allows people to understand a world that really shouldn’t be understood.”

– Richard Quittenton

The Concept

01. What was the design concept behind your project?

The concept behind the project was to reimagine the way Frank Lloyd Wright built Taliesin West. I was a student at The School of Architecture at Taliesin and this was my thesis project. The goal was to design and build a dwelling in the desert. For my thesis, I decided to take a critical look at the way Frank Lloyd Wright did things. He usually built his structures out of desert masonry and canvas.

The canvas is light and airy, and the desert masonry is solid and monolithic. I chose to mimic these materials but flip them around. My project looks like a Frank Lloyd Wright structure from far away, but once you get close, it becomes clear that something is wrong!

The canvas is hard and opaque, the desert masonry is light and reflective. It’s a way to have a dialogue with the construction process and the way an architect treats/uses materials to develop an idea and convey that idea.

The Materials

02. How did you decide which materials would work best?

The materials were a tough problem to solve, as it was such a large custom art piece. I needed something that could hold a high-resolution image, be lightweight, durable in the sun and workable. Originally I thought about glass, but it was much too heavy, fragile and expensive.

Once I got in touch with ArtisanHD and came to see the shop, we settled on polycarbonate panels and aluminum panels. I always knew that the end result had to have certain visual qualities, but I wasn’t sure how to get there.

The core of the project is to use materials that look one way yet act another way. The aluminum panels have a canvas texture printed onto them, and the polycarbonate panels have a desert masonry texture printed on them. So, from far away the project looks like a normal tent, but upon closer inspection it becomes inverted. The polycarbonate panels are translucent, and the aluminum is opaque. So the expected effect of the project is sort of flipped on its head.

Meet The Artist: Richard Quittenton

Richard Quittenton Large Custom Art Archtecture Project ArtisanHD

03. What do you enjoy most about Architecture?

The most enjoyable thing about art and architecture is that it allows people to understand a world that really shouldn’t be understood. What we call ‘reality’ is really quite dependent on our senses, the things we notice, the things we don’t. Art and architecture allow us, as a society, to make sense of life by creating visual and tactile experiences that help us locate ourselves in the world.

I was originally drawn to this field because I enjoyed drawing, and I was interested in history. I was originally a theology major in college, but I switched to Architecture once I realized that it would allow me to learn history and make drawings at the same time!

04. Why did you choose to work with ArtisanHD?

large custom art architecture project in process artisanhd shop

Behind The Scenes: ArtisanHD Print Shop

A friend of mine mentioned ArtisanHD to me when I asked him to help me solve some problems with the design. We got into a conversation about how to find the right materials for such a large custom art piece, and he suggested that I look them up. From there, I called and spoke with Mike.

He invited me to see the shop and explained exactly how to get the results I was after. From there it was all produced and delivered perfectly. In the end, it proved to be a good choice.

Large Custom Art Printing Services With ArtisanHD

Whether you are an architect needing to print specific materials, an independent artist with a vision, or a corporate client looking for signage or graphics, we are here to help.

Some of our more popular custom order options include XL prints, custom wall wraps or wallpaper, and specialized mounting designs. Learn more about our custom printing services here.