Category Archives: Fun

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Jon Burgerman

Jon Burgerman, Street artist, illustrator, fun, humorous, goofy, bright-colored charactersJon Burgerman, Street artist, illustrator, fun, humorous, goofy, bright-colored charactersJon Burgerman, Street artist, illustrator, fun, humorous, goofy, bright-colored charactersJon Burgerman, Street artist, illustrator, fun, humorous, goofy, bright-colored charactersJon Burgerman, Street artist, illustrator, fun, humorous, goofy, bright-colored charactersJon Burgerman, tribute to Maurice Sendak and MCA, Beastie BoysJon Burgerman, Street artist, illustrator, fun, humorous, goofy, Bushwick Band, Anxieteam, Bushwick DreamClick to enlarge

I attended the Reasons to be Creative conference last week here in NYC and was blown away by every single speaker. Such talent! Creativity! Passion! Truly amazing.

One of the more entertaining speakers — due to his charm and wackiness — was Jon Burgerman, a British expat living and working in Brooklyn, in addition to eating a lot of salad and pizza. An illustrator and street artist, Burgerman draws and paints colorful characters that have been made into Kidrobot toys, appeared on Pepsi cans, hats, sneakers and even a car or two. He is (as described on his website) “a multidisciplinarian carefully constructing a world in which the narrative of being an artist is played out across a wide variety of media for the distraction, enlightenment and delight of those who choose to tune in.” Also, a total goofball, in the best sense of the word.

He recently had a show in a pizza shop in New Jersey; walls filled with pizza slice characters on paper plates (I am now the proud owner of ‘Cheesus Slice’). His tribute to the recently passed Maurice Sendak and Beastie Boys’ MCA is perfect. And if all these projects aren’t enough, he performs with fellow artist and good friend Jim Avignon as Anxieteam, which, to me, has a low-budget Flight of the Conchords feel and looks like it would be a lot of fun to witness live.

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The Secret Life of Toys

Photos of Star Wars figurines during Recession times, Marcos Minuchin, Argentinean Photographer, humorous photographyPhotos of Star Wars figurines during Recession times, Marcos Minuchin, Argentinean Photographer, humorous photographyPhotos of Star Wars figurines during Recession times, Marcos Minuchin, Argentinean Photographer, humorous photographyPhotos of Star Wars figurines during Recession times, Marcos Minuchin, Argentinean Photographer, humorous photographyHumorous photos of Star Wars toys out of work, Marcos MinuchinClick to enlarge

I spotted Argentinean photographer Marcos Minuchin’s photographs a couple of weeks back at the annual Washington Square Memorial Day Art Show, on my way to buy a bagel. The large prints hanging outside his booth made me smile.

Minuchin started his series The Secret Life of Toys in 2007 as a photography class project, but kept the project going after a lot of positive feedback. His Recession Army series seems especially relevant these days. According to Minuchin, one of the perks of working with toys is that they work long hours without complaining.

You can see more of Minuchin’s photographs on his website, and you can purchase them there too.

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Sabi van Hemert: Childlike Creatures

Sculptures with childlike characteristics yet animal-looking, made with leather, synthetic materials andtoothpicksSculptures with childlike characteristics yet animal-looking, made with leather, synthetic materials andtoothpicksSculptures with childlike characteristics yet animal-looking, made with leather, synthetic materials andtoothpicksClick to enlarge

Dutch artist Sabi van Hemert creates sculptures of figures that combine childlike poses with alien looks.

From the artist:
I create an image from synthetic material or clay, letting myself be led by thoughts, associations and emotions. What do I see in the shape, what sort of feeling do I get, what does it remind me of, what am I saying with this? And, is this what I want to make? Once the image is finished, I cover it either partially or entirely with a “skin” of a different material. The choice of skin depends on the image. In contrast to the spontaneity at the beginning of the work process, when I make the skin I work in a very structured manner. For weeks, with great patience and discipline, I cut, paste or prick, following self-imposed rules such as, “all forms in the same rhythm” or “all lines continue onward”.

You can see much more of van Hemert’s work on her website.

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Oh, Plastiksack!

Plastic bag exhibit at the Gewerbemuseum in Switzerland, cool art installations, paintings, product design all made with plastic bagsPlastic bag exhibit at the Gewerbemuseum in Switzerland, cool art installations, paintings, product design all made with plastic bagsSimon Monk, paintings of superheroes in plastic bags, Oh Plastik Sack exhibit,Plastic bag exhibit, art installations, products, photographs, made with plastic bagsClick to enlarge

Oh, Plastiksack! is an exhibition currently at the Gewerbemuseum in Switzerland. A tribute to, and a commentary on, the ubiquitous plastic bag; from trash to status symbol, as well as a reflection of consumption patterns, the plastic bag is represented as the medium of choice and running theme for all the sculptures, installations, paintings, products and photographs in the show.

From top to bottom, left to right:
Luzinterruptus (lit dumpster); Simon Monk (Batman and Robin in plastic bags paintings); Ida-Marie Corell (Ikea bag installation and dress); Duty Free bag collection (artist?); Claudia Borgna (plastic bag installation in courtyard); Living room furniture made from plastic bags by Anne-Cecile Rappa, Biaugust and Ryan Frank; Luke Julius Keijser (tailored suits); and Nils Völker (plastic bag installation Eighty Eight).

The exhibit runs through June 21, 2012.

Photos: Gewerbemuseum, Claudia Borgna, Ida-Marie Corell, Bernhard Hageman; Tommi Makynen.

Thanks, Nils Völker!

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Three Studio: Melted Manga Figurines & More

Melted Manga Anime Figurine sculptures, Three Studio, Contemporary Japanese Art, Cool SculpturesFish soy sauce container sculptures, Three Studio, Tokyo Baby, Contemporary Japanese Art, Cool SculpturesMelted Manga Anime Figurine sculptures, Three Studio, Contemporary Japanese Art, Cool Sculpturesthousands of Japanese fish-like soy sauce containers form cool sculptures, Three StudioClick to enlarge

Japanese art collective Three Studio, based in Tokyo, create contemporary colorful sculptures using Manga Anime figurines and fish-shaped soy sauce containers. The Melted Manga Anime Figure Sculptures are, well, just that. Three Studio melts thousands of the figurines together creating sculptural blocks, tableaus, and figures that include bodies. From a distance, the bunched up pieces become abstract, but up close the decapitated heads, loose torsos, eyeballs and feet become apparent for a humorous and, at the same time, slightly creepy effect.

Three Studio’s series of sculptures created with thousands of fish-shaped soy sauce containers filled with colored water, range in form from geometric shapes to a mobius strip and even a Tokyo Baby. Fun stuff!

via Slanted and Gradient

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Luzinterruptus: Plaza de la Cebada Pool

Protest and celebration of pool in Madrid, light installation, luzinterruptus, guerilla art collective, street artProtest and celebration of pool in Madrid, light installation, luzinterruptus, guerilla art collective, street artProtest and celebration of pool in Madrid, cool light installation, luzinterruptus, guerilla art collective, street artClick to enlarge

The Spanish guerilla art collective Luzinterruptus (previously here) is at it again. Their latest intervention took place on May 15th at Plaza de la Cebada in Madrid. Collecting over 2,000 used plastic cups and containers in the previous month, the artists filled them each with blue water, placed them in a 6 x 4 meter rectangle and lit them. This was to represent the community public swimming pool that had been demolished by the city in 2008 with the promise of building a new and improved pool. Four years later, still no sign of a pool, while plans are now evolving into a high-end entertainment center and gourmet food marketplace which will be too pricey for the people of the neighborhood.

The light installation in the shape of a swimming pool was a reminder of what the space once was and what it should rightfully be once again in the not-too-distant future.

via Luzinterruptus’ facebook

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Christopher Boffoli: Big Appetites

Humorous photographs of miniature figurines on food,Christopher Boffoli, Big Appetites, Disparity, Edible Worlds, contemporary photos of figurines on foodHumorous photos of miniatures on food, Disparity, Edible Worlds, contemporary photographyGreta and her pals enjoyed the smooth ride so much that they vowed to never again attempt a ride over the pineapples.

Edible Worlds, Christopher Boffoli, miniatures on food, hot dog, humorous photography, contemporary photos

Gary always uses too much mustard but no one can say anything. It’s a union thing.
Edible Worlds, Christopher Boffoli, miniatures on food, tea cup, humorous photography, contemporary photos
Even though he knew the likelihood of shark encounters was low, Eric still had anxiety about the dive.

Seattle-based photographer Christopher Boffoli photographs miniature figurines performing varied tasks such as mowing an orange peel or excavating a berry pie in his Disparity Series, a humorous commentary on labor, portion size and American consumption. Part of his Big Appetites photographs include his latest series Edible Worlds which will be exhibited at the Winston Wächter Gallery in Chelsea, starting on June 21, 2012. Not only are the photos humorous, but so are the titles (Canoe au Lait… Deep Tea Diver…) and the captions, see above for a sampling.

You can buy greeting cards with some of Boffoli’s photos here.

If you like Boffoli’s photographs, you might also enjoy Liliana Porter’s work here.

via Winston Wächter Gallery

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Igor Scalisi Palminteri: Superhero Saints

Hagiographies, Batman and Robin as Saints, Igor Scalisi Palminteri, contemporary Italian art, Superhero artHagiographies, Catwoman as saint, Igor Scalisi Palminteri, contemporary Italian art, Superhero artHagiographies, Batman and Robin, Superman, and the Incredibles as Saints, Igor Scalisi Palminteri, contemporary Italian art, Superhero arthagiographies, agiografie, saints as superheroes, superhero saints, PalminteriClick to enlarge

Italian artist Igor Scalisi Palminteri from Palermo has always been fascinated by religiosity. For his series of sculptures titled Hagiographies, Palminteri transformed statues of saints, purchased in the street markets of Palermo, into superheroes by repainting the sacred works with bright acrylic paint, masking their faces and converting their traditional robes into capes and superhero garb bearing their recognizable symbols. Make of it what you will…

via tribeart

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Max Streicher: Inflatable Sculptures

Inflatable sculptures of clouds, oversized horses, bodies, clowns and more by Max Streicher, collabcubedInflatable sculptures of clouds, oversized horses, bodies, clowns and more by Max Streicher, collabcubedInflatable sculptures of clouds, oversized horses, bodies, clowns and more by Max Streicher, collabcubedClick to enlarge

Max Streicher is a sculptor and installation artist from Alberta, now residing in Toronto, who has worked extensively with inflatable technology in kinetic sculptures. His inflatable sculptures include clouds, oversized horses, bodies, a beetle, and forest, as well as abstract forms and — in my opinion a little creepy — giant clown heads squeezed between two buildings in Toronto. That one (second row from bottom) might give people nightmares…

via galeria raquel ponce

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Museum: Cortlandt Alley

Humorous collections of found objects and garbage from around the world in an old freight elevator in Tribeca, MmuseummHumorous collections of found objects and garbage from around the world in an old freight elevator in Tribeca, MmuseummHumorous collections of found objects and garbage from around the world in an old freight elevator in Tribeca, MmuseummClick to enlarge

This is the kind of quirky thing that makes NYC so great. Located in what was once a freight elevator in an alley behind a former paper warehouse, in the area between Tribeca and Chinatown, sits the Museum. This tiny space is filled with velvet lined shelves housing artifacts, objects, and, well, garbage from around the world. These pieces from assorted collections undergo a rigorous vetting process by the permanent curatorial staff who select only the most awe-inspiring objects.

Daniela and I went down for a quick visit today. Based on the 24/7 hours posted on the Museum’s website, we were not concerned about the time. These hours, we soon found out, are possible due to the three, different-level windows in the bolted shut door. Apparently, entrance can be gained by appointment only via email. I have to say that peeking through the windows works just fine and adds to the nuttiness of the whole concept. There’s a phone number on the door that acts as an audio guide service when punching in each object’s clearly displayed reference number. So, if a toothpaste tube from another country and/or its history would interest you, or maybe a misspelled food container label or air conditioner vent, then get yourself over to the Museum and peruse these lovely collections.

The Museum is located in Cortlandt Alley between Franklin and White Streets. Look for the windowed door under lots of scaffolding.

Photos: collabcubed
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Combo Colab: Mall-terations and More

NYC, public urban projects, Allen Street rotating benches, street art, public parksNYC, public urban projects, Allen Street rotating benches, street art, public parkspublic urban projects, Allen Street rotating benches, public art, stools made from crates, stackableClick to enlarge

We are smitten with design duo Combo Colab. Not because we share a similar name (though we think that’s fun), and not because some of us have Argentinean roots (though that’s cool too), but this delightful Venezuelan couple, based in New Jersey, won us over at the designboom mart 2012 with their upcycled, reconceptualized plastic milk crates as stackable indoor/outdoor stools named Xtools (bottom 4 photos), and from there we learned of all their other interesting projects.

Carolina Cisneros and Mateo Pinto are architects and artists whose practice is focused on a design/build approach. Their work ranges from small scale works to temporary public art projects. One of my favorites is Mall-terations: a project on the Lower East Side here in NYC a little over a year ago. In collaboration with Marcelo Ertorteguy and Sara Valente, as well as neighborhood volunteers, Combo Colab created a series of five rotating benches (Compass Benches) down the mall on Allen Street, overlapping circular neighborhood maps. In addition, a timeline celebrating the history of immigration and ongoing revitalization of the Allen Street Corridor ran along the concrete sidewalk from one Compass Bench to the next. These were just great!

More recently, they designed Plop Spots — giant pillows made out of inflatable bags — to generate outdoor seating clusters in and around the Dumbo Arts Festival. All the pillows have fun expressions on them such as “ahhh”, “plop”, and “zzzz”.

There’s much more, too. Seedling, Soundscape, and the upcoming Red Hook Food Vendor Market Food Fence… Combo Colab are designers to watch.

All photos courtesy of Combo Colab
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TULP: Webguerillas Bathrooms

interior design, fun bathrooms, markers in bathroom for graffiti writing, Tulp design, Munich, Webguerillasinterior design, fun bathrooms, markers in bathroom for graffiti writing, Tulp design, Munich, Webguerillasinterior design, fun bathrooms, toilet paper sky in bathroom, mirrors in bathroom, Tulp design, Munich, WebguerillasGerman brand architecture firm TULP created three fun restrooms for Webguerillas’ offices in Munich. The marker installation at top, invited staff and clients to mark up the room as they wished by using the pens (attached by magnets) to draw, graffiti, and decorate the walls. The second bathroom involved lots of toilet paper rolls and blue light, creating a paper sky and easy access to toilet paper replenishment. The third installation included an array of framed mirrors to change the sense of space and play on the idea of vanity.

Photos: Oliver Jung

via flor

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Typographied Objects IV

typography on mugs, numbers on mugs, typographic objects, bold numbers, fun itemsTypography on floor of Romanian National Library, Type Installation, Typography in ArchitectureTypography on objects from food to housewares and clothes. Letters, Type, Numbers, typographied objectsClick to enlarge

It’s been a while but here is the latest roundup of typography objects.

From left to right, starting at the top working down
Number Mugs from SuckUK; Floor of the Romanian National Library: Typographic Chessboard; Type Tote (front and back); Vitamin Packaging; Proposed Milk Carton Packaging; Sascha Grewe Letter Stools; Full House by J. Mayer H. for Bisazza SPA with dataprotection patterns; Handwritten Typeface by Lucas Neumann de Antonio; Edible Gelatin Type; Quotation Mark Plate; Typographic Sliding Puzzles; Bathroom Signage Student Project by Daniyil Onufrishyn; Alphatots Potatoes; TarGetBooks Shelf by Mebrure Oral; Dynamo Typocolate; Linus Dean Rugs; Typographic Dress; Urban Dinnerware; Love Your Fellow As Yourself T-shirt; Pablo Lehmann Bookcase; Ouch Quote Quips Bandages; and Anita Shelving by Ricard Mollon

See our previous posts Typographied Objects I, II, and III.

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Tapewriter: Autobahn

Autobahn design studio, Tapewriter, Duct Tape font, Typeface, Street Art typographyAutobahn design studio, Tapewriter, Duct Tape font, Typeface, Street Art typographyAutobahn design studio, Tapewriter, Duct Tape font, Typeface, Street Art typographyClick to enlarge

Dutch design studio Autobahn, founded by Maarten Dullemeijer and Rob Stolte, created the font Tapewriter while experimenting using duct tape as the writing material and outdoor metal fencing as their canvas. Each rectangle in the fence matched the width of the duct tape, creating a kind of bitmapped effect when words were taped out on the metal grid. From street art and free expression to font…interesting.

via behance

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Henrik Vibskov: Book Launch Performance

Henrik Vibskov, performance art, cool installations, graphic stage sets, avant garde fashion designHenrik Vibskov, performance art, cool installations, graphic stage sets, avant garde fashion designHenrik Vibskov, performance art, cool installations, graphic stage sets, avant garde fashion shows, avant garde art installations, wacky, fun, car washClick to enlarge

Danish fashion designer Henrik Vibskov is not your ordinary fashion designer. His fashion designs could be described as avant garde, but they are only the tip of the iceberg. He is a multifaceted artist, stage designer and musician who has a unique, sort of wacky, offbeat style. Seeing one of his fashion shows must be a real treat. More of a performance art piece than a classic runway show.

This month a book of his work is due out titled, not surprisingly, Henrik Vibskov. For the Berlin book launch, Vibskov designed and choreographed an interesting performance with a graphic backdrop and two actors covered in the same pattern, performing odd tasks, such as sweeping into a dustpan, in very slow motion. Also not to be missed are his collaborations with Andreas Emenius, including The Fringe Projects and The Circular Series.

You can watch a video of the book launch performance below.

And here is one of the installations from The Fringe Projects pictured above, titled Car Wash in action:

via gestalten

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Designboom Mart 2012 Designs

designboom mart 2012 at ICFF products/designs, frames, stools, bowls, bagsdesignboom mart 2012 at ICFF products/designs, Teevstyle airplane window frames, stools, Bold and Lovely porcelain bowlsAfter two days at the designboom mart 2012 at ICFF, things are going really well at our table with lots of nice feedback, but we’ve also had the pleasure of being surrounded by so many interesting, clever, and beautifully designed products. Here are some of our immediate neighbors whose designs we’ve been admiring.

Above top, Seoul-based design studio TEEV has designed these very clever picture frames in the style of an airplane window. No, the window shade does not come down, despite many a person’s attempt at pulling, but even without that possibly-in-the-future fun feature, these frames put a smile on most everyone’s face.

Right below the photo frames, Nancy Froehlich’s Bold & Lovely chunky porcelain bowls with bright and colorful glazed interiors, are simply beautiful. Contemporary and fresh in their design, we’re still trying to decide which one of these bowls from Oregon we’re going to purchase for ourselves. Nancy also has a line of plates with quote marks on them that have been quite popular at the show.

recycled bottle caps into shoulder bags, squashed basketball fruitbowls, R. Mutt toilet stickers, Marcel DuchampA couple of tables over, Colombian design studio Proyecto Tres y Medio have brought along their Tápate messenger bags made of recycled plastic bottle caps that have been sewn together and lined to make a series of very unique bags.

UK-based Alex Garnett has an interesting collection of work that includes ceramic fruit bowls in the shape of squashed basketballs and, Daniela’s favorite (though she got there two minutes after the last one at the mart was sold): Conceptual Crap –“R. Mutt” stickers to transform your toilet into a Duchampian/DADA work of art. Brilliant!

Beautiful woodwork, Dadelion stool and magazine rack, amazing packaging for beautiful ring designsMoissue from Taiwan has some spectacular woodwork. Their Dandelion stool — which doubles as a magazine rack — is beautifully crafted and would make a great sculpture on its own let alone a dual-purpose piece of furniture. Their wood and metal rings are lovely, but what really blew us away is their incredibly innovative packaging; a wooden cylinder that screws shut with the ring inside. Without a doubt the best jewelry packaging I’ve ever seen.

There are  plenty more creative products at the designboom mart and we’ll also be sharing some designs from ICFF 2012 as well in the coming days.

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Yeah! More FarmGroup

Fun Type Installation made with drinking straws, in Bangkok mall, Yeah!, collabcubedFun Type Installation made with drinking straws, in Bangkok mall, Yeah!, collabcubedFun Type Installation made with drinking straws, in Bangkok mall, Yeah!, collabcubedClick to enlarge

Bangkok-based multi-disciplinary design studio FarmGroup (previously here) created this fun Christmas installation at the Siam Center. Using thousands of colorful plastic drinking straws, the sculpted the word “Yeah!” along with several shapes of animals, stars, and other holiday motifs.

If you like this you might also like Sang Sik Hong’s Straw Sculptures and Scott Jarvie’s Clutch Project, also made with straws.