Saturday, August 30, 2014

Gothic Style Tower Functions as a Coffee Maker

This magnificent, towering structure is an intricate, futuristic machine that actually functions as a cold drip coffee maker. The complex technical device was created by Seoul-based design firm Dutch Lab, consisting of barista Jaewoong Kwak working together with a variety of global designers.
The industrial design consists of anodised aluminium that was laser cut to fit together with brass needle valves and borosilicate glass tubes. The glistening metallic shapes merge together into a cathedral-like tower which stands several feet tall.
It works by allowing fine coffee grounds to steep in room temperature water and then, relying on gravity, the brew filters downward, through tubes, and into the glass decanter sitting at the bottom. Though a single machine is quite pricey, costing roughly $7,280, it's an amazing design that will inspire creativity. What better way to start your morning!

Crafted Paper City Highlights Intricate Patterns in Moroccan Culture

Inspired by the intricate patterns in Moroccan culture, New York-based paper artists The Makerie Studio created an alluringly beautiful place they call Cloud City. Julie Wilkinson and Joyanne Horscroft make up the creative practice, and they carved and sculpted the fantastical palaces. The heavily-detailed structures are set against a dreamy, hazy-colored background and photographed by Luke Kirwan, whose lighting makes the scene appear ethereal and otherworldly.
The Makerie Studio produced these weightless-looking buildings out of iridescent paper. They are truly stunning pieces; each features a mixture of small, complex patterns and layered papers. It creates subtle color effects that truly shine in certain lights.
As you look beyond the gorgeous exterior, you’ll find that every structure has something inside of it. We see a fountain, a flowering tree, and more. It adds to the story and mystique of this floating patterned city, which we can ponder as we continue to admire the incredible craft.

Handcrafted Three-Wheel Dinosaur Bicycle Across Norway

It's hard not to laugh when looking at photos of Markus Moestue riding along on his self-built dinosaur bike. However, the creative project is actually intended to be quite serious. The Norwegian artist developed the completely bizarre mode of transportation to travel across the bible belt of Norway as a form of protest. Moestue explains, "It is a protest against the dogmatic religious education of children, and the idea originated from the theme-parks of creationists that teach children that humans and dinosaurs used to live together."
To create the project, the artist welded together three different bicycle frames to produce a unique vehicle that would support his intended concept. He used a basic kitchen knife to hand-carve the dinosaur shape out of styrofoam, producing the head and the tail of the animal separately. The material was coated with epoxy glue and a glass fiber coating and then painted reds and oranges to mimic the rough, scaly coat of a velociraptor.
Moestue attached the head and tail of the dinosaur to the bicycle and left space for himself in the middle. From a distance, the visual of the artist riding through town on the back of a dinosaur is quite unexpected and certainly makes a statement!

Portraits of People Who Live Alone in the Forest

While most people all over the world live in a community with others around them, Russian photographer Danila Tkachenko captures those that choose to turn their backs on this lifestyle. His compelling series Escape documents people who instead live a solitary existence in the wilderness. They make their homes in the Russian and Ukrainian forest and fashion makeshift dwellings from the land.
We see Tkachenko’s subjects appear in different ways throughout the series; some convey a sense of peacefulness as they lay on the trees, while others look gaunt and less at ease. The photographer is sure to show their homes, too, and it’s remarkable to see the different structures that people build and the objects they collect. Surrounded by the lush, green forest, it’s where these individuals have taken refuge from their former lives.
All of these photographs and more are compiled into a book titled Escape, which is available from Peperoni Books.











Created Using Debris from Abandoned Buildings

Dutch artist Marjan Teeuwen creates incredible installations from the demolition found in abandoned houses. Using architectural debris from a building’s rooms, she transforms the spaces into spectacular sculptural works by meticulously layering the collected fragments into aesthetically-pleasing arrangements. The series, titled Destroyed Houses, highlights Teeuwen’s ability to turn destruction and neglect into something beautiful.
The artist doesn't choose to excavate her sites, but instead fills them with carefully stacked tiles, rocks, and even home goods like furniture and books. Teeuwen groups together similar colors and uses holes in the floors and ceilings to enhance her designs. She’ll pair light-colored tiles with darkened wood for a bold, stunning effect. This Tetris-like placement creates order among chaos and gives the works a monumental, awe-inspiring presence coupled with a feeling of tranquility.