C’mon, who doesn’t love lil’ Ralphie? Snatch it up for $29 from KidRobot.
Monthly Archive for October, 2009
Inverting the model from structure being the driving force behind the chair or sofa, the Pebble series is pretty sweet. In sculptural fashion the designer uses massive upholstered foam blocks to create the overall shape and then constrains them with the use of what appears to be almost a medium gauge wire that creates somewhat of a tight cage around the cushioned elements. Some conceptual approaches work better in limited scale, better in a chair than a sofa for example. Some look better in different colors.
I have to make mention of the fact that in my opinion this works well when the proportions are lengthened, as is the case with the sofa. In terms of color, the white ‘cage’ works just as well in gray as it does in other more bold combinations because the lines tend to be subtle and visually unobtrusive. It might be nice to see what happens if they were dipped into chrome or powder coated in black and set against lighter upholstery but it isn’t necessary. The white also acts as a nice tie in with (for sure to be) more modern environments where these would be found. Inspired by a dark pebble with a white line found in the Osko Deichmann studio for dutch manufacturer Bla Station. Via Dezeen.
Talk about the best use of stock photography. If you heart it find more here.
Yup, that is a marble boat. It appears to float propelled by an outboard motor. Part of a series of common inexpensive objects sculpted in marble by Fabio Viale. You have to love the boat video as a process piece but can definitely enjoy the aesthetic nature of it as well.
In fact, from what I can tell he doesn’t do much else than take ordinary items and turn them into gorgeous explorations of form (or vice versa) with social commentary you can almost taste. Not sure if all the marble items are based on transportation due to personal interest, artistic statement, desire to work in larger scale, or the inherent challenge in doing so. Via TodayandTomorrow.
Before Girl Talk came Escape Mechanism. Check out his new album, Emphasis Added.
The latest large scale installation piece by French artist, Felice Varini is all over the interwebs this week. Whereas I find it compelling I don’t think that we are looking at a concept so perception-shattering (Salvador Dali anyone?) that it deserves as much attention as it has received. Not to say that the effort, application, and scale don’t make it remarkable (or that a remote village’s administration signed on for it) but there are some more practical applications for this that come to mind, like wayfaring–just not while driving.
Personally I would find this a bit distracting but it’s pretty functional if you ask me. Since all other uses for it are meant to stop someone dead in their tracks and take stock in how cool a space is I think that it’s a nice play on a theme. That being said I’m not sure what my initial response would be to seeing something like the image above while in a moving vehicle but the image below in person? Now that would be killer.
I am not usually a fan when it comes to having every aspect of a product painted BLACK but in this case a dark gray/graphite frame with glossy black components works in an elegant way to complement one another. It is rather fitting that this happens to be a fixie residing in New York, which seems to prove every year that black will never go out of style. Someone should teach this guy how to compose a photograph because I don’t know what is worse–the shadows or the rug. Ok, so the rug is definitely worse. Via Fixedgeargallery.
worst marketing rendering ever. professional models not included.
This may just be the best idea for shades since the ‘venetian blind’ throwback style associated with egotist Kanye West, except you can actually see with these on. Plus I would think they work better on one person and not, you know, an entire group. Get them here.
I usually don’t post concept work because a nice 3D rendering isn’t much past a sketch in terms of manufacturing. This one is compelling enough that I think it’s worth showcasing a bit, so don’t be mad you didn’t think of it first. Check out the designers site before someone else knocks this off. Speaking of which, I hope this guy filed for a patent because otherwise after being seen online it’s fair game–hear that Chinese manufacturers with no regard for intellectual property?
Know a Pack Rat or two? From a digital standpoint you might already be one and not know it, then again according to this book we might as well all be. Without repercussion for having too much digital content since storage is more or less an obtuse issue it’s hard to gauge. One can’t argue that the immediacy of information may contribute to everyone getting stupider as a whole since retention is overrated if I can just ‘google’ pretty much anything and everything. But I digress, it’s interesting subject matter nonetheless from my standpoint. Get it from Amazon for $16. Heard about it via author interview on NPR.