Opposite Upcycle Aesthetic: Arts and Crafts

The aesthetic I chose for my project was Googie. Googie is a branch off from the Streamline Moderne style and has heavy focuses on geometrical shapes, space travel, and retro futurism. To counter this I chose the Arts and Crafts design aesthetic. Arts and Crafts relies heavy on nature, handmade imperfections, and a rejection of the advancements in machining and mass produced products.

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[1][2] Examples of the Googie style vs. Arts and Crafts

My upcycle project is a sign made from aluminum cans with heavy Googie influences. I have a “starburst”, which is any star-line pattern commonly used in Googie architecture. I also include a rocket representing space travel, and a long sweeping trail across the design. To contrast this, in my Arts and Crafts redesign I replaced this central starburst with a flower, bringing more nature into the product. Instead of a rocket I sketched a bee, so I can keep the same flow of the design but with a more natural feel. I also included vines inside of the flower, this gave it a more filled out look which is common in Arts and Crafts.

On the left you can see the sharp edges and more modern look of the Googie design. I attempted to soften these edges and create a more natural look with the design on the right.

My Googie upcycle project uses exclusively metal, which fits quite well with that aesthetic but does not fit Arts and Crafts. If I was to re-do this with the Arts and Crafts style I would attempt to hand carve, and hand paint, the new design out of a single piece of wood. This would give the piece those handmade imperfections, and a much more natural look than shiny aluminum. I would also consider using cardboard, or another more natural material.

 

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Googie_architecture

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arts_and_Crafts_movement

Images

[1] “Tucson Inn”, by G Vargas. https://www.flickr.com/photos/bugeyed_g/5131168954

[2] “Chandelier”, by MET Museum. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/1971