Art from Decay: 11 Masters of Trash, Rust & Rot
August 23, 2010 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Steph in Art & Design, Food & Health, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
The inescapable cycle of life, death and decay will have its way with us all, and virtually everything else on earth… and while most people find this reality of nature less than pleasant, others seek to magnify and exploit it. Because while decay can certainly be disgusting – as some artists have portrayed with rotting animals – it can also be beautiful, like allowing the sea to etch a pattern into metal.
Dieter Roth
(images via: MOMA)
No collection of decay-themed art would be complete without the inclusion of Dieter Roth, whose entire oeuvre challenged the notion that art is immortal. Bananas, sausage and dung are just a few of the items Roth used to create pieces that blossomed with maggots and mold, falling victim to the relentless cycle of life and death even under the harsh lights of exclusive art galleries. Certainly the bust of chocolate that he made of himself, covered in birdseed and threw into a courtyard as a feast for birds looks very different than it did when he created it.
Dan Dempster
(image via: wikimedia commons)
The sea is a great and mysterious artist, carving rocks and scouring patterns into sunken man-made objects with its relentless tides and currents. Bermuda artist Dan Dempster submerged pieces of steel into the ocean and let it etch patterns into the surface with a rusty, dreamy and utterly aquatic result.
Nathan Slate Joseph
(images via: sundaram tagore gallery)
Many artists whose work is displayed outdoors dread the process of weathering; they lacquer and protect their work as much as possible to defend it against fading, rust, and other hazards of wind and rain. But Nathan Slate Joseph intentionally leaves squares of steel outdoors to “empower nature by allowing it to have a hand in the making of his art.” He even applies acids to facilitate the breakdown of the pigments he applies to each square, letting them age and change naturally before soldering them together into one cohesive piece.
Damien Hirst
(images via: my modern met)
Renowned British artist Damien Hirst is known for making death a central theme in nearly all of his works, the most notable – and controversial – of which being a series made from animal corpses. One work featuring a rotting cow and bull was banned from gallery exhibition by New York public health officials for fear of “vomiting among the visitors”. Another, “A Thousand Years”, consisted of a rotting cow’s head in a glass case, covered in maggots and flies. But not all of Hirst’s dead animals are left to the ravages of nature – some are preserved in formaldehyde, like his iconic (and somehow simultaneously iconoclastic) shark.
Tony Reason
(images via: tonyreason.com)
Rust is a powerful pigment, with its vivid hues of red and orange that it lends to all sorts of metals, whether desired or not. British artist Tony Reason must see a great beauty in rust, because he has made it the center of much of his work: giant metal panels with rust designs and even rust mixed with wax and painted on canvas.
Kathy Kelley
(image via: artslant)
Few artists enjoy being told that their work looks like a bunch of trash – but Kathy Kelley knows that that’s exactly what her sculptures are. Kelley, who holds an MFA in graphic design, turned to “revaluing objects of refuse” with her large-scale found-object sculptures, saying “I am drawn to the symbolic and formal elements of decay, the way in which an object has been altered by its mere existence. The worn, broken, torn nature of the aged object seems to make it more real, more honest. So I collect decayed urban refuse. I hold onto it for awhile. Cogitate. Eventually the formal and symbolic elements of the materials and my current research meld. Then I make.”
Matthew Barney & Elizabeth Peyton
(images via: c-monster)
Take one dead shark a la Damien Hirst, throw in some drawings that have been embellished by the sea over a period of a few months a la Dan Dempster, and you’ve got the strange collaborative project “The Blood of Two” by artists Matthew Barney and Elizabeth Peyton. Some of Peyton’s nautical-themed drawings were placed in a glass casket which was submerged in the ocean for months; the casket was ceremoniously lifted from the sea and taken on a funeral-like procession to a slaughterhouse where the drawings were removed and replaced with a dead shark. The shark was later served to onlookers. Barney is also known for his performance art videos featuring sculptures made from uncooked tapioca, which were left to decay as they would.
Rosamond Purcell
(images via: zymmogyphic)
Did you ever imagine that a dead fish could be so beautiful? Rosamond Purcell collects such natural and man-made curiosities for her assemblage art, which pays tribute to decay in all forms, from the remains of dead creatures to worm-eaten books and rusted metal. Purcell sources most of her materials at a junkyard in Maine and turns them into art installations, sculptures, collages and other collections as documented in her book Bookworm: The Art of Rosamond Purcell.
Joseph Beuys
(images via: 2thewalls)
Artist Joseph Beuys worked with all sorts of unconventional materials, but they were never randomly chosen. Beuys used edible items like butter, sausage and chocolate in some works, knowing that they would transform and decay over time, changing the way that people reacted to each piece. Fat in particular played a large role, used to signify “chaos and the potential for spiritual transcendence”. The images above show how the work ‘Fat Chair’, which featured a triangular slab of butter on a wooden chair, evolved as it decayed.
Zhang Xiaotao
(images via: saatchi gallery)
Perhaps hang Xiaotao’s art isn’t made directly from putrefying objects, but nearly as unusual is the desire to produce art that holds up decay as a subject worth portraying again and again. Xiaotao depicts moldy strawberries, rotting birthday cake, heaps of trash in the subway and ants feasting on forgotten food as lovingly as if they were stunning landscapes and beautiful models. “I am creating something that is disappointing and yet has great hopes – a cycle of positive and negative energy that is in a constant state of renewal,” he told China Daily.
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Women at War: Reclaimed Bunker Turned Museum
August 20, 2010 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Steph in Art & Design. ]
An old war bunker in Yorkshire, England sits empty, an unused memorial to the immense cost of war, particularly in lives, land and resources. But if Leeds Metropolitan University graduate Charlotte Wilson had her way, the RAF Bempton bunker would become a sacred space honoring the role of women in wars past, present and future, befitting the intense natural beauty of the seaside setting.
“Women . War . Peace’ will be a new and exciting war museum with the pure focus of Women and War,” says Wilson. “Journeying through the exhibition will illustrate the compassion, realism, horrors and bravery seen and felt through the eyes of women during war time, both on the front-line and behind the scenes. This museum interrogates the creativity of learning through emotional and experiential spaces and details.”
Four stages of war will be represented within the reclaimed bunker: past, present, reflection and remembrance, and future. In the ‘Past’, the main exhibition stage, museum visitors will learn the stories of ‘women at war’, told within the bunker walls, and ‘women at home’, displayed in spaces outside but connected to the bunker space. The ‘Present’, located within the courtyard spaces, will illuminate the lives of women of war from the year 2000 through the present day.
‘Reflection and Remembrance’ will make up a viewing platform that extends beyond the cliff in which the bunker is embedded to provide a vista of the sea, while ‘Future’ takes visitors high above the bunker onto a viewing platform that serves as a space to contemplate what they have seen.
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Literal Lawn Chairs: Grass Sofas Brighten up British Summer
July 30, 2010 by admin · View Comments
[ By Delana in Art & Design, Home & Garden, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Summer means more time spent outdoors in the sun, but the National Trust of Great Britain found that British families are spending an average of 43 hours per week inside and on the sofa. That’s a grand (or not-so-grand) total of 13 weeks per year. To get people out of the house and into nature, the National Trust has unveiled ten huge grass sofas in locations all across the UK. There are no TVs, no laptops – just unique spaces for quality outdoor family time.
The massive furniture was grown in about a month using all natural materials: straw bases covered with blankets of green, growing grass. These peculiar outdoor living rooms all consist of a sofa and a coffee table, letting British families get out of their homes but still spend time together in a familiar setting.
The growing living rooms were placed in a handful of picturesque natural locations, with some even making appearances in town centers. The National Trust endeavor uses humor rather than stern authority to coax families out into the beautiful British landscape this summer.
(all images via: Inhabitat)
Relaxing on a sofa in the sun, in some of the UK’s most beautiful outdoor spots, might be the best way we can think of to spend the summer. With a mug of tea and a plate of biscuits, a family outing to one of these living rooms would make for a splendid afternoon.
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From Ancient Air Conditioners to Contemporary Passive Homes
July 23, 2010 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Delana in Art & Design, History & Trivia, Home & Garden. ]
We might tend to think of passive home design and environmentally-friendly cooling methods as qualities of modern “green” construction. But natural cooling techniques have been used for as long as humans have been building homes; after all, the modern air conditioner is a relatively recent invention. These homes were all built to take advantage of simple, natural cooling methods – no air conditioner required.
(image via: Wikipedia)
Ancient desert-dwellers knew better than anyone that the best way to keep a home cool was to keep it from getting hot in the first place. This is why many hot-climate homes were built close together and finished with light-colored exteriors: both of these methods helped keep the heat out. But even more amazing is the windcatcher, a passive cooling device that has been used in Asia and the Middle East for many centuries.
(image via: Wikipedia)
The windcatcher is essentially a tower that “catches” the prevailing wind in its open side, then directs it down into the building to keep the air flowing and thus keeping the home cool. This Persian invention can be seen in many locations around the Middle East and surrounding areas, where daytime temperatures are typically very hot.
(image via: Wikipedia)
Windcatchers are sometimes used in conjunction with underground water canals to cool buildings. Hot air is drawn into the underground canal, where the water is kept cool because it is so far beneath the surface. The air is cooled by passing over the water, then it is directed up into the building. A similar method used in windless environments is the solar chimney, which forces hot air out through the top of the windcatcher and traps the cooler night-time air inside, keeping the home at a comfortable temperature.
(image via: James Ray Polk)
The same type of natural air conditioning can be seen in Western architecture as well. Transoms, or tiny windows above doorways, were used to keep interiors cool and ventilated before air conditioning became commonplace. Trees and shrubs are used for shade to keep the sun from creating too much heat inside homes, and exterior porches are used to keep windows protected from the harshest of the summer rays.
(image via: Inhabitat)
These passive cooling methods and others are used in the most innovative and forward-thinking eco-friendly home designs of today, but they are all based on design elements that were developed long ago. Contemporary passive home designs are using these ancient passive methods in thoroughly modern homes to keep residents cool in the most classical, Earth-friendly way.
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Wood Carving: Trees as a Medium
July 15, 2010 by admin · View Comments
[ By Marc in Art & Design, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Unless you’ve been to a logging competition, you probably haven’t seen someone with a large chainsaw creating a beautiful piece of art out of a dead tree, but you may have stumbled upon their handiwork in the woods or sitting outside a boutique. When a tree dies (or sometimes, while it’s alive), these tree carvers are able to take the remains and turn it into something beautiful. Here are some of the most gorgeous examples of tree carving:
(Images via treefellers, ronaldhanko, cimba7200, bruce aleksander and dennis milam)
Those who take up tree carving are typically nature lovers, and spend a lot of their time in the outdoors enjoying nature, and practicing their art. It’s unsurprising, then that animals feature heavily in tree carving subject matter. The most common tree carving tends to be a giant bear, rough hewn out of a large tree and left in the lobby of a ski lodge. Large hawks and Pelicans, and even fish leaping out of imaginary water, are just a few of the more intricate animals also chosen.
(Images via ajft, fields of view, gary and kathy, neilio, lndshlf72, treefellers)
Human faces are difficult to carve because everyone is a well attuned critic, since we’ve all been studying faces since we first opened our eyes. Despite the difficulty, the idea of an old wise tree man, or beautiful and intelligent tree woman, is incredibly common, and by far the most intriguing tree carving subject matter.
(Images via ksgirl, chigmaroff, linda, jafproject)
People are difficult to carve because they’re tall, bipedal, and typically have some sort of tool or implement lying around; not to mention the fact that we’re evolutionarily geared to be able to tell what is right or wrong about a person’s face, making everyone much more critical. The difficulty doesn’t stop tree carvers, however, and many create monuments to famous individuals from trees that have been around since they still walked the Earth.
(Images via gizmodo, coasttocoastam)
It’s surprising when a tree carver’s subject matter is something besides a jumping salmon or wise-eyed old man, but that can make it even more enjoyable. Above are two such examples; an arcade machine and an alien, defying you to pass by without studying them even more intently than you would a depiction of a large bear.
(Images via halle0909, the eggplant, trying to keep still, jaana-mari, simon lawrence, lwh1970)
A tree carver has to work with the shape and size of the tree he’s working with, and this can spur creativity in a direction maybe the tree carver didn’t even expect. They may reveal symbolic elements, or even the secret door to a dwarve’s underground abode, or even create an area meant for meditation on nature. Whatever the tree carver decides, if they have the skills, it will become awe inspiring.
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Forest for the Trees: An Endless Forest in the City
July 2, 2010 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Delana in Art & Design, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Stuck in the urban jungle and longing for greener places? We’ve all been there, but it’s not always easy to sneak away and take a short trip to the forest. DUS Architects made it possible to take a break from the concrete jungle and get back to nature with its uniquely wonderful project called Unlimited Urban Woods.
The Unlimited Urban Woods was a temporary public art pavilion at the Oosterdokskade, Amsterdam. The unassuming box took up only a few square meters of ground space, but inside sat a forest that went on forever.
Upon stepping into the box, visitors were greeted with an impossibly lush and full wooded area. The effect was achieved with one full-size tree and some strategically angled mirrors. The image of the tree was repeated in the mirrors over and over, making it feel as though one could simply walk through these woods for eternity.
The exhibit was an unexpected bit of green in the city, giving passers-by a chance to take a break from their normal busy day and simply relax for a while in a calm, green space. Even if the forest wasn’t real, the sense of being in a vast space certainly was.
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12 Savvy Small-Space Urban Gardening Designs & Ideas
June 14, 2010 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steph in Art & Design, Home & Garden. ]
Think you gotta have a farm or even a large yard to grow enough fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs to feed your family all summer? You’d be surprised how much food you can get out of the smallest of spaces – even when you live in an urban high-rise. From innovative vertical gardening systems to hanging pots and easy-access planters, these 12 small-space gardening solutions make homegrown produce possible no matter how tiny your outdoor space may be.
Small but Expandable Step Garden
(images via: urban garden)
How do you squeeze every possible square inch of usable growing space out of a tiny balcony or deck? When space is an issue but you want to grow much more than just a pot full of essentials, stacked raised beds can do a lot with a small footprint. These raised beds by The Urban Garden stack in various configurations and help you ensure that all of your plants have equal access to the sunlight.
Pop Bottle Drip System
(images via: you grow girl)
Unless you’re really conscientious, it’s way too easy to accidentally kill plants growing in small pots under the brutal heat of the summer sun, especially in urban environments where reflected heat can dry out soil fast. A slow-delivering drip irrigation system is the way to go – and you don’t have to spend a dime. An easy tutorial from You Grow Girl explains how to use recycled pop bottles.
Square Foot Gardening
(image via: serene journal)
How much food can you grow in a square foot? More than you think. Square foot gardening consists of 4
Make it Rain: Precipitation Producing Water Tower
June 2, 2010 by admin · View Comments
[ By Delana in Art & Design, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Water towers are necessary parts of the landscape, but they aren’t often thought of as positive features of the towns they’re in. This water tower design was created by French firm Atelier Ramdam Architects for Latina, Italy; it is as much a public space as it is a water storage facility. Meant to act as a center for ecological and water management issues, the dream-like “Castle in the Sky” would both blend with the environment and enhance its surroundings.
The Castle in the Sky design consists of a ground-level park and pond, a mirror-clad shaft, and a large platform atop the shaft. Coating the central tower in reflective material makes it almost disappear, enabling the structure to be a part of the landscape without dominating it.
One of the most striking features of the Castle in the Sky is the fact that it makes its own rain. The tower uses the pond at the bottom of the structure as its reservoir. Water is pulled up through the tower, then vaporized on the rooftop platform, which doubles as a recreational space. The precipitation falls on the rooftop park as well as the ground-level park, cooling and hydrating the vegetation and visitors in the immediate area.
Vegetation at the ground level helps to filter the water after it rains down and before it runs back into the reservoir. The entire structure can be used for educational purposes or simply as a unique and beautiful gathering space for the entire town.
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Extreme Eco-Fashion: 10 Recycled Critter Collections
May 26, 2010 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Elizah in Animals & Habitats, Art & Design, Uncategorized. ]
Human beings have relied on the innate warmth and coziness of animal skins for ages, and back in the day with sub-zero temperatures swirling about and the threat of snarling, chronically hungry prehistoric animals at every turn, it made sense to make the most of what remained following a heart-throbbing hunt. Despite the eventual creation of a highly profitable industry built around raising creatures for the sole purpose of harvesting their lush coats, the practice is in our current day and age increasingly considered not only inhumane but also entirely unacceptable now that we’ve developed perfectly viable vegan alternatives. Those who are eco-sympathetic may feel that it is wrong to kill an animal and profit from the sale of its skin, but what about recycling perfectly usable critter body parts when random creatures have met their untimely demise underneath cars, as the result of ill-placed power lines or following a mishap with an immaculately clean office building window? As you will see below, there are more than a few fashion designers and their creative (or morbidly?!?) inspired compadres who pursue the darker side of animal recycling in an effort to craft left-of-center fashion statements that purportedly celebrate the lives of those whose candles have burned out well before their time.
Iris Schieferstein
(Images via: Trampin Feet, Shocking Fuzz, Iris Schieferstein, Design Crisis)
It’s one thing to strut your stuff while wearing the skin of a sacrificed alligator or cow, but once you dare to literally hoof it while sporting recognizable body parts or dead-on, fully intact critters…wellllll, let’s just say that that’s where many fashionistas would easily draw the line. German artist Iris Schieferstein has certainly gone where no other creative minded animal recycler has gone before by fashioning what-the-huh? footwear out of hedgehog bodies, once soaring white doves and now dead-as-a-doornail horsie feet. Certainly striking, these inarguably practical fashion staples nonetheless provoke one to declare a piercingly audible, “Neighhhhh!!!!”
Reid Peppard’s RP/ENCORE
(Images via: Examiner, Smile & Save The Planet, Reid Peppard)
Unlike many of her taxidermy contemporaries who fail to clearly identify precisely how they source the subject of their works, Reid Peppard has long been very transparent about using city casualties that have been found rather than hunted. While it’s not surprising that many find her distinctive brand of fashion rather repulsive, the self-confessed vegetarian sees nothing wrong with transforming what would have normally gone to waste into beautiful personal adornments that might potentially have the power to change the general perception of city-dwelling vermin and garden variety rodents. Interestingly, Peppard has commented that many of her naysayers will “wear leather without thinking…eat meat, drive cars that pollute the atmosphere (and) then turn around and say that my taking waste and preserving it is somehow wrong.” Good point. Now who’s this close to buying her pristine white rat carcass coin purse? Hello? Any takers? Rat purse anyone?
April Hale
(Images via: Craftzine)
For those who experience a serious case of the heebee-jeebies when it comes to the mere mention of the words rat purse, April Hale’s line of roadkill jewelry (with no heads attached) may be just what the doctor ordered. Why must we continue farming conventional forms of fur, anyway? Imagine going cold turkey on the fur industry altogether and instead repurposing the hides of anything that perishes due to natural or city-livin’ causes? There’s certainly a seemingly endless supply… Hale — who also happens to eschew meat — was inspired to pursue this unconventional fashion niche following an unfortunate incident in which a squirrel pulled a deer-in-headlights moment by freeze-framing underneath the tire of her car. She now pays her bills by transforming all manner of flattened critters (house pets excluded) into quirky adornments that celebrate the simple beauty of what we take for granted.
James Faulkner
(Images via: Ecouterre, Refinery 29)
Brits tend to dabble in the quirky side of life (or death as the case may be), but in their defense, they are also far more likely to exercise sustainable behaviors due to a deep-seated eco-awareness that permeates their culture. Scotland-born James Faulkner initially applied his green inclinations on a grand scale by transforming a dearly departed magpie located on the side of the road into a show-stopping headpiece for a friend’s wedding. With ooohs, aaahs and many follow-up orders under his belt, Faulkner soon found himself smack dab in the middle of a dandy little business that allowed him to exercise his artistic inclinations while also honoring his belief in treading lightly on the earth. Stating that he hopes to “maintain the beauty of these creatures” with his hand-crafted millinery, he is opposed to “farming for fashion, which is why (he) sources all of (his) materials as much as possible.”
Lady Lavona
(Images via: Lady Lavona)
Fancy a gnarly-looking bird claw, set of critter choppers or a brawny black beak dangling from your neck? Then Lady Lavona is your gal, conjuring up all sorts of beastly anthropomorphic fashion adornments that pay homage to the macabre Victorian-era penchant for recycling bits and pieces of animals bagged in hunting excursions. While she sources some of her inventory straight from 16th – 19th century stockpiles — including vintage animal hoof necklaces and full spreads of miniature fangs — a great deal of what she sells is self-designed, such as her wildly popular crows feet amulets accented with an artful tangle of earth-toned semi-precious jewels. One thing that Lady Lavona wants prospective buyers to know about her collection is that her animal trinkets are legitimately recycled, unlike those of her competitors that “are bred in captivity for the sole purpose of being sold to human consumers…labs, pet stores, etc.” and yet billed as never being killed for the sole purpose of becoming one of their end products.
Wim Delvoye
(Images via: Wired, Dan Connolly, Wim Delvoye, Neatorama, Saatchi Gallery)
Judging from current industry statistics, the pork biz is doing oinkingly well — by golly, it’s the top animal-based protein source consumed in America! While the other white meat is deeply entrenched in our food chain, we rarely stop to think about how piggy parts are typically recycled. Aside from the bazillion rawhide ears that man’s best canine friends typically snack on in the span of one year or the potted pig meat wonder that we guiltily fry up in a pan (most commonly known as Spam) — porcine skin is also used in the fashion world…but how about pre-tattooed pig skin accessories? Wackadoodle Belgium artist Wim Delvoye has made this seemingly inhumane concept a very real reality on his Beijing-operated ‘art farm’ (the location specifically chosen due to the lack of animal rights concerns). It is there that he and his staff of master tattoo artists brand live (but fortunately sedated) pigs slowly but surely with all sorts of varied images and then allow them to grow to slaughter weight, tan their skins and then either sell the resulting canvases as art, use them as the foundation for custom fashion accessories or taxidermy entire creatures to sell to well-heeled consumers who think nothing of staring eye-to-eye at their specially ordered critter casualties.
Maximilian’s Pet Shop
(Images via: We Make Money Not Art)
Katie Higgs and Ella Kigour — the masterminds behind Maximilian’s Pet Shop — know just how ga-ga we are for our pets, so in a nod to the celebrity trend of dragging petite creatures along with us on mundane shopping excursions, the design team has conceived of a way for mere mortal no-names to do the same while employing a dash of conversation-starting-style. Sure, they have a few designs — such as their burrow friendly rodent accessible sweaters/scarves and bird cage purses — that enable still alive and kicking creatures to see the world with their pet guardians in tow. What is particularly creepy, however, is their Taxidermy Kitty Carrier which, while technically not a fashion accessory per se, still deserves to a place in the annals of extreme eco-fashion since those who are desperately smitten with their departed kittens might feel inclined to show the whole world just how sweet their whiskered face once was (and still is thanks to the modern wonder of well-executed taxidermy). Anyone squirming yet?
Loved To Death
(Images via: Kaboodle, Etsy, Buzzworthy MTV, Chopstix)
Oh goodness gracious…squirrel paw and bird head jewels?!?! Oh sure, why not! The folks at Loved To Death — who by the way have been very publicly accused of misleading their buyers by claiming that no animals were intentionally killed to create their pieces — made headlines with their instantly heart-sinking Polly-no-longer-want-a-cracker pendant, and with good reason. The instantly recognizable parrot, often found in the homes of many-an-animal-lover, never did anyone wrong aside from randomly chomping down on pokey, chronically inquisitive fingers for no particular reason. Not that such an unwelcome action deserves being beheaded and mounted on a silver-plated shield. Sigh. Parrots of the world…be forewarned.
Julia DeVille’s Disce Mori Collection
(Images via: Cool Hunting, Klimt02, Coilhouse)
‘Learn to Die’ doesn’t sound like a very nice name for a company, and yet Julia DeVille’s appropriately Latin-named taxidermy-based company isn’t billing itself as anything other than being a haven (or fashionista pedestal, if you will) for the preserved bodies and random parts of creatures that have passed over to the other side. The natural born Kiwi who now calls Australia her home intentionally utilizes “symbols of mortality” that have perished au naturel in an effort to inspire wearers to “contemplate their own mortal existence and, in turn, appreciate the significance of life.” The result is a collection of crumpled, bejeweled and tah-dahhh fashion statements that are oddly compelling yet flat-out freaky-deaky…great for the fashion-forward goth enthusiast or been-there-done-that rock star who really wants to get tongues flapping.
Custom Creature Taxidermy
(Images via: Solis, My Heart Monster)
Embracing a ‘waste not, want not’ mentality, wildlife rescue/rehabilitator/conservationist Sarina Brewer — who feels that animals are just as beautiful in death as they were while alive — proudly recycles every single animal body or component that passes through her hands. Typically reincarnating the bodies of creatures with varying circumstances (think roadkill, animals that are deemed as pests, pet trade casualties and discarded cattle), the Science Museum of Minnesota volunteer is an odd breed in that she is not only a self-confessed science nerd but also an artist who creates oil-based paintings, sculptural works and wearable fashion accoutrements. If her $45 grouse foot necklace doesn’t grab you, then her $55 coiled rat tail necklace, preserved raccoon heart or mummified kitten paw earrings surely will. The good news for sustainably-minded consumers is that you can take your eco-purchase one step further by repurposing many Custom Creature Taxidermy jewelry pieces as makeshift back scratchers — hmmm, on second thought, perhaps that extracurricular application might kick your itch into overdrive!
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Flat Pack Products: 30 Efficient and Eco-Friendly Packaging Designs
April 14, 2010 by admin · View Comments
[ By Elizah in Art & Design, Home & Garden, Technology & Gadgets, Uncategorized. ]
(Images via: Treehugger, Abitare, Vestal Design, Dornob, Gajitz, Home Dosh, Shiny Shiny TV, Ponoko, EcoFriend, Project Koreck, Modern DNA)
There are countless instances in which “flat” is a very bad thing. No one wants to pour themselves a nice tall glass of non-fizzy soda or discover that one of their car tires is hopelessly deflated. Even worse? The realization that a formerly voluminous hairstyle is dead on arrival or certain bodies parts (ahem…chest and derriere) are about as shapely as a piece of Home Depot lumber. The decidedly cheerful “yin” to flat’s mopey “yang” comes in the form of streamlined packaging designs which, for all intents and purposes, help to save shipping costs and consequently ease up on the environment. This is one particular case in which flat is where it’s at.
Whiz Through The Streets Without Missing a Beat
(Images via: Like Cool, Treehugger, Abitare)
Scoring second place in the L’ARGUS European Design Competition, French designer Nicholas Belly conveys the concept of simplistic, eco-friendly mobility with his wooden flat pack bicycle and scooter, both of which can be popped out of their respective templates and assembled in minutes flat. While it would be easy-breezy to navigate extremely narrow alleyways or congested city thoroughfares without going into cardiac arrest, one has to question the longevity of products like these and their ability to effectively support the weight of a typical person while also holding up to the rigors of life on the streets. Still, the notoriety he has earned is well deserved because let’s face it, we really don’t need Hummer-sized two wheelers clogging competing with conventional traffic. A complementary flat pack accessory for Belly’s on-the-go, lightweight bike and scooter comes in the form of Juilen Bergignat and Patrice Mouille’s 100% recyclable polypropylene Tatoo bicycle helmet, which is flexible enough to fold up into a compact package when not in use. While some critics argue that it isn’t exactly designed to withstand the type of traffic accidents that are common while gliding along on two wheels, it seems as though it would certainly offer welcome protection in a pinch. Naysayers of the world, how about coming up with a better design, hmmm?
Chug (or Simply Lug) With The Greatest of Ease
(Images via: Neatorama, Sustainable Is Good, Treehugger, Best In Packaging, Recygal, Vestal Design, Gajitz, Gear Patrol)
From Tetra Pak paperboard beverage boxes and rectangular Sam’s Club milk gallons to Heineken beer bottle bricks, angular French Rabbit wine packs, square soda bottles and Cubis containers, these far-out liquid ensconcing designs share three major eco-appealing features beyond their obvious sleek good looks. Conventional beverage bottle designs take up more space during transit and ultimately on the shelf, whereas rectangular designs reduce shipping costs, increase storage efficiency and ultimately curb greenhouse gas emissions since a larger amount of product can be transported at one time. Furthermore, the vast majority of redesigned beverage containers typically utilize planet friendly materials, as is the case with designer Andrew Seunghyun Kim’s collapsible, 100% sugar cane byproduct-comprised rectangular soda bottle (complete with 25% slimmer plastic cap) and the Cyprian-designed short, stubby and entirely stackable HDPE Cubis container with convenient flip top opening. Knock one back for Momma Nature (oh, go ahead…make it a six-pack) and be sure to pop your empties in the closest recycling bin when you’re done. 
Tote Stuff on the Go With Much-o Air Flow
(Images via: Interior Design, Modern DNA, Dezeen, Ektopia)
Bags already have a pretty sleek physique right out of the gates, so why bother improving on something that’s pretty great “as is”? Well, because that’s what designers do in the middle of the night instead of counting sheep! While you may not save very much storage room with these designs (compared to conventional versions), from an aesthetic standpoint, they are certainly easy on the eyes and dare say, even a little edgy.. sort of like the Sid Vicious of the reusable bag set. Artecnica gets extra brownie points for their novel, airy, stretchy and stupefyingly circular concept which is carved from 100% recycled advertising billboards using zero thread, adhesive or other extraneous materials while Demelza Hill’s reversible doppelganger version is constructed with felt-backed rubber and boasts the extra added addition of a handy top-fastening snap to ensure that all your organic goodies won’t spilleth over. Being a bag lady (or man) doesn’t seem so bad after all if you elect to carry a few of these babies around.
Give Pizazz To Your Pad With Flat Lifestyle Accessories
(Images via: Home Dosh, EcoFriend, At Home With Kim Vallee, Dornob, Haute Nature, Project Koreck, Boing Boing, Drink Stuff, Like Cool)
Featuring distinctive design elements, ease of assembly and a quirky profile that could easily give conventional versions a dysmorphic body complex, there are so many examples of flat pack housewares that it’s mind boggling. Maria Pitallano’s plastic Petal Bowl emulates the construction of a flower, while Japanese-made, fully expandable and lively patterned Plastica vases accommodate the unexpected floral arrangement in full-throttle style. Buro North’s eco-friendly, stylistic Christmas trees are made from waste wood via a low-energy production process and Jesse Korek’s laser cut, flat pack birds appear majestic in mid flight…just watch your head because those claws are notorious for drawing blood. Among the most appealing selections are Zaishu’s sustainably produced flat pack seats/tables which are gorgeously adorned with water based inks and iBride’s Diva Ostrich Console Table which rivals that of their polar bear bookshelf…but only by a smidge. So many options and so little time — seek and ye shall find!
Take On a Quirky Flat Pack Extracurricular Hobby
(Images via: Suck UK, Geekologie, Gadget World)
The above flat cardboard sound system with fully functional speakers, offered by British purveyor Suck UK, has a convenient, centrally located iPod docking station which accommodates various other types of MP3 devices and comes with a nice-n-easy, fully illustrated assembly booklet that easily puts IKEA’s headache-inducing versions to shame. Priced at under $40 US dollars, the company is so sure that you’ll be banging your head in record time that they even throw in four AA batteries, which should be music to any flat-pack-enthusiast’s ears. Also the manufacturers of an amusing trio of flat pack, transportation-inspired kitty playhouses as well as a Classic PSP Mini Arcade, anyone craving kitschy-cool fun should definitely pull out their wallet and get the party started.
Vogue-to the Nth Degree With Flat Fashion Accessories
(Images via: Of Paper and Things, Design and Design, Hello You, Ponoko)
No more belly-aching about how you can’t possibly fit another fantastic fashion accessory in your already packed-to-the-gills closet. With Studio Lo on the scene, they’ve streamlined shoes and bags to such an extreme degree that you could become a veritable Imelda Marcos or Paris Hilton (hey, if the shoe fits…wear it) without missing a beat. The French-based sustainable design firm utilizes a water jet powered cutting tool to create their highly original screen printed felt pieces, making the wearer the envy of the flat pack scene. Where are old blue eyes and Sammy D. when you need ‘em?
Let There Be Portable Flat Pack Light
(Images via: Ponoko, Dornob)
Now that flat pack lights are taking the design world by storm, there is absolutely no reason why klunky, entirely breakable bulbs should ever put a cramp in your style again. Joonhuyn Kim’s flat light still bears the hallmarks of its more bulbous brethren with a sleek glass exterior and distinctive tungsten filament interior — the only difference is that the whole thing is a scant inch in diameter and won’t ever become a casualty of a lopsided table given its lack of rollability. The button cell operated Eureka boasts a virtually indestructible LED that is implanted into one solid sheet of aluminum (offering long-term durability), whereas Hyun Jin Yoon & Eun Hak Lee’s credit card sized cardboard sibling packs an illuminating punch that won’t soon be forgotten. Makes you crave the days of dark alleys (with a side of pepper spray) just to put them to the test.
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