Category Archives: Fun

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Origami Madness

An impressive collection of origami from different sources has been put together by Pavol Janovicek on Cruzine.

From top to bottom and left to right:
Blue Bar Pigeon by Seth Friedman (for Em)
Piggy by Roman Diaz
Onitsuka Tiger by Sopho Mabona; Gorilla by Black Scorpion
May the Autofocus be With You by straightfromthecask; Wall-E by Brian Chan
Tow Mater by Black Scorpion

See many more here.

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Gabriele Basílico: Contact 1984

Click to enlarge

When I came upon the wall of these large blown-up images at the Armory Show here in NYC a couple of months back, it filled me with a silly happiness. Who hasn’t, as a child, wearing shorts in the summer, been fascinated by the different bumps or ridges left on their thighs after getting up from an extended sitting? I certainly was. So, a sort of nostalgia and instant smile overcame me when I observed these photos by Gabriele Basílico, an Italian photographer who according to his gallery’s web site, first shot these photos in 1979. He had been asked to participate in an exhibit entitled “Freedom limits/the object: faced interpretations” and thought to take an ironic approach that invited free interpretation. From the artist:

The opportunity to participate in such cultural and artistic event helped me to take aside the beauty and formality of the still life photographies and to conceived a project more symbolic, ironic and freedom to interpreted the matter.
Thinking through the images about the relationship between the object-chair and the human body it came to my mind the funny and grotesque image that the hard summer chairs left in the naked bodies of the swimmers. It is a real negative “by contact”. A provisional relief tattoo which is printed on the body aesthetically developing the original surface of the contact.

I had neglected to take down Basílico’s name when I saw this at the Armory and had since been looking for it online, so I was especially happy the other day when I happened upon it via La Lettre de la photographie.

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Sebastien Wierinck’s Tube Formations

(Click on images for larger view)

Not since the Blue Men have I seen such great use of tubes. Sebastien Wierinck (whose Panels02 Chair we posted about previously) is a designer based in Marseille, France. He has designed everything from domestic furniture to commercial, interior design to stage and exhibit design. Above are some of his installations for public spaces, restaurants, galleries and art festivals.

From top to bottom, left to right:
Le Centquatre, Paris (top two photos); INSTANT Exhibit, Brussels (x2); Bed Supperclub, Bangkok; Light detail, Bed Supperclub; Brazil-Brazil Exhibit, Marseille (x2); Gallery Into Art & Furniture, Berlin; Tokyo Eat Restaurant, Paris; Design City, Luxembourg

Apart from being fun and amazing, these constructions are made of polyethylene plastic (plastic bottle waste) so it’s recycling at its finest. The tubes, usually used for water, gas and electrical distribution, are strong, flexible and readily available in multiple colors and sizes. It’s win-win all the way.

You can visit Sebastien Wierinck’s site for more info, and there are more photos on flickr.

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Creative Clothespin Usage

Creative Clothespin UsageI spotted an interesting lamp prototype made of plastic clothespins a couple of days ago in Williamsburg. Trying to find it online proved to be futile, but instead, I came across some very creative uses both for clothespins and inspired by clothespins. Here are some of the ones that stood out.

Starting at the top left corner, row by row, left to right:
Sandra Backlund creation; Bride Lamp; Claes Oldenburg sculpture in Philadelphia; Clothespin USB stick; Sandra Backlund Clothespin Dress; Peg Light by Steffi Min; Clothespin Trashcan; EZ Chopsticks; Clothespin Lamp; Clothespin Light and shown with paper as shade; Peglight; Clothespin Dress for window display
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Puff Buff Lamps

Puff Buff LampsI had to smile when I came across these Puff Buff lamps. So fun, and something I would have loved to have in my room as a teen to go with my yellow shag rug. They remind me of those inflatable chairs which, by the way, I had always envisioned on the aforementioned rug as well.

Made of PVC and inflatable, these lamps come in hanging, floor, table, and column variations. See them all here and some are available here.

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NRM Project: New Role Models

When Dan and I entered the ICFF satellite show, Model Citizens, in Chelsea last Saturday, we were greeted by a row of colorfully designed miniature seats. The NRM Project (New Role Models), of which these seats are a part of, is a movement by Mike Seto and David Kim of Click Boom Pow to “empower initiative”. The chairs have been distributed around Manhattan and Brooklyn without permission. The prints on them were donated by a variety of artists and designers including Milton Glaser and DALVA. The idea is to inspire good design as well as giving New Yorkers a place to sit, relax, and enjoy the art.

See more images of the chairs at their site.

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Andy Warhol-Themed Objects

In honor of the recent unveiling of the Andy Monument in Union Square, NYC, (and of Em’s return home later this week) here are a selection of fun Andy Warhol themed objects. Oh, and you can sing along to Stereo Total’s Andy Warhol, (soundtrack here to some Andy footage) while perusing the items.

Row by row, from left to right:
Andy Warhol dress with synthetic hair by Jean Charles de Castelbajac; Andy Warhol 1960s Flower Plates; Tin Box Banana Sweets; Campbell Soup Can Shoes; Warhol Soup Can Magnets; Marilyn Gold Box with Chocolate Pearls; The Souper Paper Dress; Campbell Soup Lights; Lips Appetizer Set; Cow Box with Hazelnut Chocolates; Marilyn Mousepad
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Rob Southcott

Rob Southcott What Lies Beneath TableBased in Toronto, Rob Southcott is an industrial designer who “creates common objects with their own unique sense of individuality.” To that, I would have to add “and humor.” There is a lot of humor in his work, which only increases its appeal.

From top to bottom, left to right:
What Lies Beneath Table; United We Stand Chairs; Jet Set Paper Airplane Hooks; Correlation Chandelier; Community (drawers); Down with the Ship Candlestick; Totem Cups

See more at Rob’s site.

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Consumption Dinnerware

Consumption Dinnerware by Leah PiepgrasYes, it’s a bit gross but the idea behind Consumption Dinnerware made me laugh. The plates are a map of the digestive tract, from mouth to anus. The saliva glands and oral cavity cup is not shown here, but clockwise from top left corner: Esophagus plate; Liver/gallbladder/stomach/pancreas plate; small intestine/colon plate; and finally, appendix/rectum/anus dessert plate. Don’t be surprised if your guests pass on dessert, or the whole meal for that matter…

Pre-order your set here.

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Bike-In Theater

Bike-in Theater Forking Tasty eventHere’s a Saturday night plan for those in NYC tonight, provided it doesn’t rain: Bike-In Theater part of Forking Tasty’s dinema supperclub. It’s a free event and the film, location, and time were all underwraps until this morning. This is the first Bike-In in the series and therefore an experiment which will include popcorn and some water, but not the usual full dinner that they apparently provide in other events. You can bike-in or walk-in but you might want to bring a blanket or some sort of seating since this will be on an asphalt floor.

What: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Where: India St. and West St. at the water in Greenpoint, Brooklyn
When: 8pm

In case of rain, they will try for Sunday. In case of rain on Sunday, then next weekend. Sign up here to get the latest updates.

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Blow Chair: Malafor

Malafor Blow Arm ChairMade of inflatable paper dunnage bags, a metal frame and rubber straps, the paper Blow Armchair is simple to inflate (just use a blow dryer),  easy to transport, and recyclable. Not to mention hard to ignore in a room! The young designers at Malafor, a Polish design studio, have now come out with a new plastic version called the Explore Chair which is made of DAKRON sailcloth, very durable and weather resistant; perfect for outdoor use.

The sofa version can be purchased here.

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Typographied Objects

Typography ObjectsPretty much anything with nice typography is bound to catch my eye. And pretty much any object that uses typography as an integral part of its design is likely to win me over. Here are but a very few:

Clockwise from top left:
Typographic Dress at the Met
Alphabet Poster
Jacqueline Rabun Type Jewelry
Veer Character Scarf
House Industries Neutraface Pillow
Alphabet Ice Cube Trays
Red Plastic Letters from Etsy
Domino Clock
British Route Signs Chair
Fontables
Typography Coasters
Typolade Chocolates
Type Bookends
CB2 Letterpress Rug
Alphabet Bookcase
Letteroom Alphabet Eco Wrapping Paper

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Phat Knits

Phat KnitsMaybe one of these to replace the bean bag, Dan? Designed by Bauke Knottnerus, Phat Knits is a series of giant threads used to create, knitted or not, interior products. These are part of two special editions of Phat Knits made for an exhibit called Unravel: Knitwear in Fashion going on now through mid-August at the MoMu (Mode Museum) in Antwerp, if you happen to be there in the next couple of months.

You can see more images here.

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Origami Phone Handset

Origami Handset Em pointed me to this cleverly designed prototype. Designer Chengyuan Wei conceived of a phone handset made from cardstock, including all the minimal essentials: chip, microphone, and electrical wire. This flat board folds into a three-dimensional object when pressed on its sides. Much simpler than making a paper crane…just sayin’.

via PleatFarm