Dallas architect and artist Jacob Haynes went all out for his “microscopic universe” themed Christmas tree this year. His laser-cut micro-organism ornaments are amazing, but his pipe cleaner DNA garland really completes the look:
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Billon (Cuts of Wood) by Vincent Kohler
Recent work by Mike + Doug Starn
Nao Tamura designed his Rings stool to celebrate the 80th anniversary of designer Alvar Aalto’s Stool 60.
About the project:
Contained within a single tree is its unabridged chronicle Year by year, never skipping a beat, it records its history slowly. Some lines speak of seasons of plenty, while others cry of famine. The size of the rings are never the same. Each engraving bears witness to battles waged in the name of survival. To observe such is to humble ourselves to nature’s love of life. This celebration was created by layering upon the chair’s beautiful geometric shape, a complex and organic graphic of life. My hope is that the Artek “Stool 60” will evoke the bounty of nature as seen by the passage of 80 years of time.
SonUmbra by Loop.pH is a sort of solar powered tree that is motion sensitive.
About the project:
The atmosphere of musical rhythms, harmonies and luminous patterns are composed by the visitors’ movement - either active or passive. The light emitting fabric of the umbrella is crafted into a lacework of many electroluminescent fibres. This latticed pattern is animated in concert with the generated surround sound and visually illustrates the visitors’ position within the constellation. Wandering unaware or actively gravitating towards Sonumbra each person plays a part and becomes a note in a unique composition of light, sound and space.
More than merely decorative, the tree was designed for use in remote areas in need of low cost lighting. In addition, by providing shade during the day and a light source at night, it could serve as a safe gathering place for local communities.
You can see it in motion in this video:
Sonumbra @ Design and the Elastic Mind from Loop.pH on Vimeo.
China’s Environmental Protection Foundation wanted to draw attention to the increasing environmental impact of the growing Chinese car industry and to encourage people to walk more, and drive less. DDB China Group put together a clever campaign that did exactly that in a fun and engaging way.
About the campaign:
We decided to leverage a busy pedestrian crossing; a place where both pedestrians and drivers meet. We lay a giant canvas of 12.6 meters long by 7 meters wide on the ground, covering the pedestrian crossing with a large leafless tree. Placed on either side of the road beneath the traffic lights, were sponge cushions soaked in green environmentally friendly washable and quick dry paint. As pedestrians walked towards the crossing, they would step onto the green sponge and as they walked, the soles of their feet would make foot imprints onto the tree on the ground. Each green footprint added to the canvas like leaves growing on a bare tree, which made people feel that by walking they could create a greener environment.
The Result:
The Green Pedestrian Crossing was carried out in 7 main streets of Shanghai and later expanded to 132 roads in 15 cities across China. A total number of pedestrians that participated exceeded 3,920,000 people. Key media both online and offline rapidly wrote about the campaign. According to research, the overall awareness of environmental protection had increased 86%. After the campaign, the print was exhibited at the Shanghai Zheng Da Art Museum.
Collages of landscapes shot at different times and seasons by Noel Myles
About the project:
Throughout Noel Myles’s work there is a consistent aim to extend the still photographic image beyond the single moment and the static viewpoint. The intention is to evoke the perception of accumulated experience.
From the project In Pieces by Legan Rooster
Marianne Kjølner photographed this house-shaped tree in Denmark. Apparently it wasn’t the work of a landscaper with a sense of humor:
This old pink house is situated at the old dunes, a few hundred meters from the west coast, a very windy place were there isn’t much that can grow. So the tree can only grow where it has shelter. It has looked this way always.
The daytime and nighttime versions of Long Quiet Life, a glow in the dark print by Dan McCarthy.
Even though I’m a full grown city dweller now, I still have a fondness for tree climbing from my childhood in the country. I love the idea of being able to spend time in the highest branches of a tree again. Thanks to Hommin’s Meet on tree that might actually be possible.
About the project:
When did you stop climbing trees? This is a architecture project that help you to climb again. Tree will comfort you and hide you with its leaves and shadow.
Kevin Iris twists wire until these beautiful trees emerge.
Bartholomäus Traubeck’s Years is a record player that plays slices of wood instead of vinyl.
About the work:
A tree’s year rings are analysed for their strength, thickness and rate of growth. This data serves as basis for a generative process that outputs piano music. It is mapped to a scale which is again defined by the overall appearance of the wood (ranging from dark to light and from strong texture to light texture). The foundation for the music is certainly found in the defined ruleset of programming and hardware setup, but the data acquired from every tree interprets this ruleset very differently.
You can hear a sample of the beautiful music that results in this video:
YEARS from Bartholomäus Traubeck on Vimeo.
Random acts of tree carving. These are two of three incredible sculptures that were left to be found in North Yorkshire, England by a talented but unknown artist. They were only recently discovered, but word has spread quickly and they have now become a tourist attraction. Find out more about them here
Visit the Thinx site