For most people, a laser cutter is a tool. It’s a nice addition to your workshop, useful for engraving wood, and something used to burn serial numbers into products.

　　So then, is it surprising to discover that some artists actually use laser cutters in their art? Of course not! Cutting-edge technology is often used for practical things, but artful uses aren’t to be overlooked.

　　Here are five very different approaches to laser cutting art, from five of the best artists in their fields who’ve excelled in turning to laser technology to make some beautiful and unique works of art!

　　Gabriel Schama’s art pieces resemble large three-dimensional canvases. His pieces feature intricately cut and layered pieces of plywood. Stacking these layers gives each canvas incredible depth, so much so that his pieces often seem to almost emerge from their laser-cut plywood.

　　In general, his pieces begin life digitally, as complex vector illustrations. Schama laser-cuts his illustrations into plywood, then glues in each piece by hand.

　　Originally, Schama only used an X-acto and paper for his projects. After experimenting with laser cutting and wood, he realized the technology’s benefits. In an interview with medium.com he explains:

　　His pieces often aren’t trying to speak meaning into anything, but are instead simply abstract pieces in a unique style.

　　Schama’s style would grab the attention of Limelight, a group of Hungarian artists and specialists with 3D projection mapping artwork.

　　On his website, Schama explains:

　　An effect you can see in his piece “Seven Fates” below.

　　Laser engraved paintings are similar in discipline to traditional illustration. As their name suggests, they are unique in that a laser cutter etches in an artist’s design, rather than ink. This technique adds depth, unique discolorations, and of course texture, to what would otherwise be a flat and 2-dimensional piece.

　　A notable engraved painting artist is a man currently operating under the pseudonym of “SpaceWolf.”

　　The above piece is a good example of his workflow. On his website he explains that

　　Interestingly, his engraved paintings are only ever produced in limited runs. SpaceWolf explains that this is intentional:

　　The reason for this is unclear, though we can speculate that this adds to the uniqueness of each piece. After all, laser-cut paintings are already rare, so why not add to them?

　　Let’s move up several magnitudes of scale! How are laser cutters gotten involved in large-format art installations?

　　Kate Raudenbush, famous for her installations at Nevada’s annual Burning Man Festival, is a notable practitioner of this technique.

　　Her installations often make heavy use of laser-cut stainless steel. The technique’s flexibility is on display here with the sheer variety of her installations.

　　Raudenbush’s 2018 piece, “Transitional Portal” is a good place to start.

　　Besides looking very cool, its construction is almost entirely made from laser-cut stainless steel. This design calls back to both Nevada’s industrial past and future, as she explains:

　　Are fashion designers artists? Well, that’s not a question that this listicle isn’t going to try and answer. What I am certain about, is that we can’t ignore the place that laser-cut textiles has on this list.

　　Martijn describes himself as working in the “field of innovative textiles and fashion.” Visually, this is seen in the way his artworks challenge the ways textiles are produced. And how does he frequently create his art pieces? Well, with a laser cutter of course.

　　“Here the boundaries meet and all contradictions exist side by side.” Fyodor Dostoevsky, in ‘The Brothers Karamazov’.

　　Martijn’s 2014 fashion collection, “Contra • Dictions,” demonstrates his innovative approach.

　　Although they’re not the most abstract pieces to strut down a runway, they stand out by being entirely produced with laser cutters. Martijn explains his process:

　　Up until now, we’ve covered specialists in their fields.

　　Where Big Secret stands out then, is in its willingness to turn its hand (and laser beams,) towards anything. In their own words:

　　With this in mind, let’s look at some of their works:

　　Nike commissioned Big Secret to produce a collection of baseball bats. Inspired by classic baseball typography, this was Big Secret’s result.

　　A combination of cutting, engraving and wood stains created the final effect. Engraving on a narrow and curved surface such as a baseball bat is far from easy. Although Big Secret never detailed the laser settings they used, the fact that they were even able to achieve this result was noticed.

　　Karen Welmann, a judge in the 2016 TDC62 Communication and Typeface Design Competition, remarked:

　　Following a similar style, came this collection of unique guitars

　　These guitars were commissioned by software company Qualtrics. They were awarded to clients during the company’s “X4 Summit” conferences.

　　Taking a completely different approach, Big Secret also accepted a commission from HBO. They created custom gift sets for fans of the series, “His Dark Materials.”

　　Each set contains a hand-crafted porcelain dæmon, a creature from the series. Big Secret’s contribution was the figurine’s base and the box that would contain it.

　　Each box is constructed with dark mahogany and golden accents. The wood is intricately laser engraved, and each lid is laser cut into a multi-layered focal point.

　　Some other items that received Big Secret’s artistic treatment are a cognac drinks set, graphic style earrings, skateboard grips, and a leather-bound bicycle.

　　So yeah, as I said, they’re happy to turn their hat to anything.

　　Not to be confused with the puppeteer behind Miss Piggy and Fozzy Bear, Eric Jacobson is a mixed-media artist who has discovered laser cutting as an excellent means to add to his already impressive collection.

　　Awarded Best In Show at the 2014 ‘Breaking Out of the Box’ Sculpture Show in Santa Clara, Trapped in Cyberspace is a unique piece laser cut from acrylic.

　　The head is shown with a winding circuit board inside, the theme is open to interpretation, but is a great insight into the world’s, and indeed our minds’, dependence on electronics to learn and think.

　　Continuing on the image of the human head, which Jacobson is known for when it comes to acrylic, Out of My Mind shows a bisected head made using a combination of laser etching and sandblasting.

　　Synaptic connection is my personal favorite in Jacobson’s collection. Included in his iron work, it shows a cross section of the human brain made from laser cut acrylic.

　　This piece was even displayed in the Beyond Structure exhibition in San Francisco in May 2014.

　　Tord Boontje is another London-based artist who uses laser engraving to make floral artwork and even furniture with a theme combining nature and illumination.

　　His designs range from traditional sculpture to engraved tableware like plates and cups. He also makes cut glass art and decorations all for exhibition and even sale.

　　Martin Tomsky is a London-based artist who channeled his compulsive doodling and active imagination into art that toes the line between stream of consciousness and narrative structure. His works include jewelry and illustration as well as laser engraved plywood structure.

　　After Life is a fantastic piece showing an almost Tim Burton-esque look at life after death, whimsical and beautiful despite the generally horror-associated theme.

　　Speaking of adding whimsy to the macabre, Delicious Melon is a fun pretend-violent image that looks horrifying on first glance, but lighthearted on closer inspection.

　　The Godlings have featured in several of Tomsky’s pieces, but the Musical Godlings work is probably the cutest. Moving away from macabre imagery while still keeping the theme of a world beyond our own, one holds a coffee cup and the other a martini glass, showing an almost literal ‘night and day’ difference.

　　Treeline & Tide is a husband-and-wife operation that combines the couple’s backgrounds in architecture and design to create laser cut art for sale as jewelry and accessories. Their designs are often new-age inspired, and they vary in style to suit just about anyone.

　　So instead of looking at particular pieces, I recommend checking out their website above to see their designs and wearable art and other laser cutting services.

　　When it comes to using laser technology for art, a lot of people seem to forget that paper is a good medium. Using a laser machine to cut and shape is an artform all on its own, and Anna Cook took to it well.

　　By combining standard paper cutting and folding with laser cutting, she’s created a beautiful portfolio of amazing laser cut art that any wildlife or even just art fan will love. My personal favorites are her fox designs, but you’re sure to find something you’ll love too.

　　Toronto native Mathew Rosenblatt is an artist and sculptor who used laser cutting in Symbolic Peace, easily his most famous work. Symbolic Peace is a wooden sculpture that has laser cut symbols of faiths and religions from all over the world illuminated by an interior light in different colors.

　　Symbolic Peace now sits in Toronto’s scenic Distillery District where it has garnered admiration from tourists and locals alike.

　　If you liked this article, check out our top recommendations for sites to download laser cut files.

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