Starting with just 10 seconds of video that you capture at home, we create a piece of heirloom art that will be passed down from generation to generation. 

We call it the Vertical Art ‘Face’.

It’s a real life replica of your face or the face a loved one, made out of layers of laser cut bamboo – it’s a long-lasting hardwood that’s completely sustainable. 

Your Face is highly detailed, yet completely abstract – the end result is a timeless memory for your wall or for your desk. 

Part book, part sculpture, part puzzle

You can take your Face apart to read your custom messages etched onto each layer: write inspirational quotes, tell a story, or write a poem – however you want pass on your memories for future generations.

There's around 40 layers available to craft your story - and even though the space available might be more suited to 'twitter post' than 'short novel', it's perfect way to leave lasting memories, or to say 'I love you' in 40 different ways.

The Face is secured with a large vertical spine and wedges top and bottom to keep everything together, so it's safe on your wall but easy to take apart and read the story inside.

• The top layer is dedicated to the name of the person the Face represents,  visible for all to see.
• Each inner layer is numbered, so you can't get the layers of your Face out of sequence.
• The bottom layers are set aside for the thank-you's for our Sponsors, both individual and corporate.
• The spine has the Vertical Art logo and edition number permanently etched into it.

The Details

We're only making 100 (actually, 101) of these Faces:

• Each is indivually numbered from 000 to 100.
• Faces 001 through 010 come in a custom-built laser-cut bamboo box.
• We're offering one super-special edition labelled as '000 - Face Zero'.
  We'll fly to you, anywhere in Australia, to do your face capture for you, and to personalise each and every layer of the artwork.
  You'll become the PR campaign of the project, featuring on this page, and in all subsequent promotions in the press and on verticalart.co.

The Face will weigh approximately 2kg (between 4 and 5 pounds), and will be 20cm (8") high and approximately 15cm (6") wide for adults, scaling down for children and infants. The aim is to make it actual size, wherever possible.

• We won't always capture the hair: the main aim is to capture the feaures that will not change over time: the chin, the nose, the cheekbones and the overall shape of the face. 
• We may be 'challenged' by beards and glasses. We'll work with you to plan our approach! As above, the aim is to do something that's timeless, so if there's part of your Face that you may, uh regret/look back in horror in ten years time - then that's something we may aim to avoid.
• Each face has a slot in the back for hanging or mounting. Otherwise, it also looks great as a desk ornament or on the mantlepiece laying flat.
• And to pre-empt the conversation: no, this will not combat Apple's new FACE ID technology : )

Make no mistake – this is YOUR face, or the face of a loved one. 

• Once you purchase your Face, we'll work with you to get the best possible capture, then convert your files into a life-size replica. 
• We'll start the capture and data prep process the moment you sign up, so we can be ready to go into production when the campaign closes, immediately after the setup and calibration of the laser cutter.
• We anticipate setup and first Faces by the end of November, and all Faces in time for Christmas.

Delivery is free. We'll personally hand deliver if you're anywhere near Melbourne or Geelong, Victoria.

About AB

AB - Andrew Ballard – is the creator behind Vertical Art:

• By day, he's a Business Consultant to corporate clients across Australia, playing with big data, master data, product data, and business intelligence. 
• On the weekends, he's out riding with his wife, a Geology student, taking drone footage of the cliffs and vertical features around Victoria Australia, to support her research project. You can see their progress over at vertical.earth. The scientific process of converting 2D photos into a 3D mesh (map) is known as photogrammetry - hold that thought...
• But during the evenings and long rides to Melbourne on his motorbike, AB was thinking about other uses for his big data and photogrammetry skills.
  For instance - the revolution of 3D printing brings about semi-permanent replicas of objects with amazing levels of detail - but today's 3D printing outputs are neither large-scale, nor can vouch that they can stand the test of time.
  Bring on the large-formats of laser cutters and CNC machines - both have working dimensions up and in excess of 1m/3' - and either can be used to cut a more permanent range of materials: wood, acrylic and sheet metal.
  With a range of desktop and medium-format laser cutters becoming more affordable, the decision is what to make...
  Starting with the Vertical Art | Face, AB already has plans for a far wider set of products that are all 'heirloom art worthy' - keepsakes and memories of special people, special places, special times - and even special pets. Watch this space! 

I have a laser-cutter-shaped hole in my office – so that's the first and most important purchase. Once the laser cutter arrives, I'll set it up and calibrate it, and begin running trials for the optimum cutting speed and power, to achieve a clean edge.

The remaining funds wil be spent on:

• Bulk purchase of pre-cut Bamboo sheets from my Australian supplier.
• Electrician to install new 15amp points for the laser cutter.
• Fire extinguisher. Yep. Safety first.

Again: we anticipate setup and first Faces by the end of November, and all Faces in time for Christmas.

Iteration, iteration, iteration. One of the main reasons to purchase the laser cutter before creating any prototypes is that I really want to dial in the cutting speed & strength for the engineered Bamboo hardwood boards - to ensure I can get a super clean cut, without charring or burn marks. I'm going to be a stickler for quality.

Just as importantly, I need to be able to refine the securing mechanism on the Face. I've designed a central spine to align the stacked layers, but I need to get the exact tolerances to ensure the perfect fit - tight, but not overly so. 

Finally, I need to work on the securing wedges – the final key that holds the layers in place – and be able to plan the position and angle of the wedges for different Face sizes.