Upcycling Aesthetic: Tensegrity, Industrial and Modern

For my upcycling project, I was able to find electronic waste (discarded keyboards, mouse, and monitor), glass bottles, different sized bike wheels, and cardboard. Looking at the bike wheels, I got the idea to make a tensegrity structure made almost entirely out of the bike wheel parts, which are the rims, spokes, and the hub. I chose industrial style, modern, and all matte black as my aesthetic. Here are a few crude sketches I created while ideating. I chose industrial style, modern, and matte black…

Blog Post 2: Upcycling Project Aesthetic

What is your upcycling aesthetic and why? For my upcycling project, I will be created a miniature model of an Earthship home. This type of home combines Santa Fe style architecture with the use of sustainable materials and infrastructure. I am choosing this design aesthetic because of my fascination with the concept and for the challenge of upcycling materials I already have around the house or in the recycling bin to complete this project. For this project, I will be utilizing oven bake and air…

Upcycling Aesthetic: Spacecore

The aesthetic I have chosen for my upcycle project is spacecore. I picked this aesthetic because it shares some of the qualities of my previous post’s aesthetic: retro-futurism. Both of them take advantage of the night sky, technology, bright colors, and ethereal images. The reason I did not go with retro-futurism is because I thought it may be a little difficult to find materials that have the “retro” quality I would need, and I’m not a good enough artist to draw in the scenes myself.…

Upcycling Aesthetic: Gorpcore

For the upcycling project, I am planning on creating a bag or accessory of some sort out of old athletic clothing. The final product will have a gorpcore aesthetic. Gorpcore is an aesthetic or style of clothing that is wearing utilitarian, hiking, tech athletic clothing for leisure. This is very common concept of clothing in Boulder; arc’teryx, North Face, Patagonia, Salomon etc. Above is ASAP Rocky wearing “Gorcope”. Back into my upcycling project…how will I do it? I am a runner and have an abundance…

Upcycling project aesthetic – Naturecore

The aesthetic I have chosen for my upcycling project is nature core. The reason why I chose this aesthetic is mainly that I love being surrounded by lush greenery, and also I like artworks of this aesthetic. I currently have two ideas in mind: Idea 1: My first idea is to create a floating table out of used sheet metal parts and incorporate a nature core artwork in the space below. I plan to use old cardboard, sponges, metal wires, and some wooden skewers for…

Upcycling Aesthetic: Layered Laser Cuts

For my upcycle project, I’m going to make a dice tower out of stacked, laser cut cardboard. For those of you who don’t play D&D, a dice tower is a structure, usually shaped like something, where you drop a die in the top and it comes out the bottom rolled. It’s no better than rolling by hand, it’s just for style. For reference, this is one that Dimension 20, an actual play show, uses. It’s called the Box of Doom: Credit: Rick Perry & Dimension…

Upcycling Aesthetic

WHAT     For my upcycling project I am choosing a Bohemian aesthetic to follow. My original material for upcycling was wooden toothpicks, which has guided me towards a much more natural feeling project, so I found the second piece of wood that I needed by a dumpster outside the Coors event center on campus, after failed attempts to find any decent scrap wood at the ITLL and the BTU’s woodshops. HOW For my project, I will be hand carving the wood into the shape of…

Upcycle Project Aesthetic

Background The history of my upcycle project began in early 2019, when I happened across some fossils near a hiking trail. They appeared to be bones from an elk or deer, probably left by hunters due to the location and since the skull was missing. Immediately I decided that these fossils would become a future art project, and I carefully gathered the pieces I could find, some of which still contained pieces of flesh and other organic material on them. Aesthetic Influences The modern gothic…

Upcycle Aesthetic: Central European Ornamentation

I drew inspiration from Central European folk ornamentation for my upcycle project. The reason, oddly enough, was loneliness. My family is from Slovakia. Growing up, we ate Slovak foods and celebrated Vilija the night before Christmas. I’m third generation and never went to Slovak school like my mother and grandmother. I only know a few words in Slovak (mostly foods) and until recently, knew next to nothing about the actual country. For me, Slovak was just the thing my family was and the stories they…

Upcycling Project – Cardboard Lantern

In recent years, I’ve been really into Japanese culture and art, so I’m going to base my aesthetic for this project on the Ma aesthetic (see this post). I think I really want to make a collage of some sort that features different handmadekatagami stencils. Part of the Ma aesthetic is the rustic, handmade feel or look, so I’m going to avoid using any machines for this project; rather, I’ll rely on myself to be as careful and precise as I can be, just as…

Upcycle Project Aesthetic: College Beer Wall

For my Upcycle project I have decided to make a guitar strap out of recycled materials. I have been playing guitar since I was in the fourth grade and I recently have fallen back in love with playing and learning new songs. Therefore, When thinking about my desired aesthetic I knew I wanted to do something that related to guitar. My plan was to attach the finished product to my acoustic guitar, so I began to think of what I associated with acoustic guitar. My…

Upcycling Project Update 1

The aesthetic I decided to pursue was Clowncore, which on the Aesthetics Wiki, is defined as “(also known as circuscore or clownpunk) surrounds things such as clowns, mimes, and jesters.”  Common themes found in this aesthetic are circuses, tents, carnivals, and more whimsical items like toys or candy. However, instead of the more modern clowncore, I have decided to base my designs off of older concepts, specifically those of Pierrot and Harlequin. Originally from Commedia dell’arte, both Pierrot and Harlequin are “Zanni” or clowns within…

Upcycling Project Aesthetic – Articulated Wings

I have been always inspired from the nature. Nature has this perfect blend of art and science, which has evolved since the Big Bang, i.e., birth of universe (At least that’s what we human think as of now) to this great optimized design after multiple iterations just like any other design process. Humanity’s great designers, scientists, engineers  has always looked towards nature’s wonder to try to take inspirations for their creations. I was attracted towards human-flight and been curious as how humanity has this constant…

Up-cycling Aesthetic :- Braided Wire Art.

I have been around electronics and wires for as long as I can remember. Every once in a while we used to have excess wires which have some random issues with them (too short to be used, burnt insulation, etc) because of which they get discarded and just are stored in bulk in one corner. For my up-cycling project, I have decided to use these left out, ignored, wires and come up with a sculpture design using them. Being an engineer, it will be interesting…

Biophilic Industrialism: Turning Wood into Mountains

It actually took me quite awhile to decide on a project aesthetic. From the outset, I had the idea to create a 3D topographic map or relief, but I struggled with how to actually incorporate a more clear aesthetic. I was initially drawn to minimalism because it seems fairly prevalent in the topographic reliefs I was able to find through research. While I think that they look appealing, I wanted to try to challenge myself to find, and use, a different aesthetic. I wanted to…

Upcycle Aesthetic – Rustic Uses of Wine Bottles

The aesthetic I will influence into my upcycle project is rustic, earth tones, and rough textures. When brainstorming for this project, I struggled with ideas or aesthetics. I started by thinking of what materials I would typically throw away, like bottle caps, can tabs, cardboard, broken plastic, and bottles, and I couldn’t come up with an idea with a concrete aesthetic. So after struggling to brainstorm for a while, my roommates and I collected materials unknowingly one night and ended up with a few empty…

Gorpcore Aesthetic Upcycling Project

For my upcycling project I’ve decided to make a tote style bag in a Gorpcore aesthetic. Gorpcore is a fashion trend that basically combines the elements of outdoor clothing with streetwear and fashion. The term “gorp” is acronym for “good old raisins and peanuts,” which is a common trail snack for those on outdoor trips. The aesthetic itself typically is comprised of versatile, functional, and durable clothing items such as waterproof shell jackets, puffer jackets, hiking pants, backpacks, sunglasses, and hiking boots. The common theme…

Y2K Cargo Aesthetic: Upcycling Project

The aesthetic that I have chosen for my upcycling project is Y2K cargo pants. This aesthetic revolves around baggy pants that contain lots of large pockets that were very popular around the turn of the century. My plan is to create a pair of these pants by cutting and combining several pairs of cargo shorts so that I end up with a textured garment with several layers and an unnecessary amount of pockets. You might be saying to your self that cargo pants are ugly…

Japanese Boro Denim

I am going to make a traditional boro style denim tapestry. Created by low class Japanese citizens in the mid 1800s, boro denim is the art of repairing denim by patching new sections on. Boro style denim can also be created by sewing many different sections of fabric together. It utilizes striped patches to contrast with the darkness of the denim which emphasizes its arts and crafts style. I was first introduced to boro style denim through Japanese brands like Kapital and Needles. These new…

Biophilic Pencil Holder

My chosen aesthetic for the upcycle project is the biophilic aesthetic. I was drawn to this aesthetic after reading through most of the Blog #1 posts as I am really passionate about environmental causes and also very much believe in the psychological power of being around nature. I think I would really enjoy a space that combined modern architecture with nature in a seamless and clean way, so I want to try to integrate some of this aesthetic on a smaller scale in a particular…

Upcycling Aesthetic: Pastoral

With Groundhog Day giving us more time in Winter, I have been dreaming of Spring and warmer weather more and more. For my upcycling project, I am going to be going with a pastoral aesthetic to help satisfy that desire for Spring while I am waiting. This aesthetic is generally composed of soft colors and natural elements, and is meant to evoke the countryside in Spring. Image found at: https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.72881.html

Upcycle Aesthetic

While looking for inspiration for this project, I started by thinking about sources of waste that I commonly come across. I’ve always been drawn to repurposing old gear, especially ski and bike gear. When I thought about the old gear I’ve collected, I realized that bike tubes are a pretty common source of waste. All of this thinking about all the old gear I have made me think about the one piece of gear that I don’t own- a camping chair. This inspired me to…

Upcycling – Succulent Garden

My upcycling project will center around a music-themed succulent garden. The basin for the plants and soil will be a molded vinyl record with the label at the base. I have several scratched or otherwise damaged records with vintage 70s surf-style record labels which I plan to mold using a plastic cup and heat gun. Without relief cuts, these will develop an appearance like coral and the hole for the turntable spindle will help with drainage when watering.One of my damaged records (Marvin Gaye) that…
A Bonsai Tree created from strands of copper wire twisted together

Upcycling Project Aesthetic – Twisted Wire Bonsai Tree

[1] An intricate Bonsai Tree made from strands of twisted copper wire   For the Upcycling Project, I was heavily inspired by videos I have seen about people making Bonsai Trees from twisted wire. I am drawn to this process because it emulates one of the core tenets of the Zen aesthetic, “beauty in imperfection.” A tree made from wire may appear from a distance to be akin to its real-life counterpart, but upon closer inspection, one will find the simplicity of its design creates…

Upcycling Project Aesthetic – PTFE Connectors

The aesthetic of an object is often shaped by the processes used to design and produce it. The 3D-printing community has developed a distinct aesthetic, stemming from the solid body modeling techniques and manufacturing constraints. This aesthetic is characterized by visually uncluttered surfaces, bright colored accents, and robust material usage… Read the rest of my blog post

Upcycling Aesthetic – Contemporary Sculpture

Contemporary sculpture is a broad category of art that falls under both modern sculpture and contemporary art. Contemporary art simply describes art made after the second half of the 20th century. I could not find an exact description for the aesthetic I had in mind. It is usually described as “mixed media” and “found object”, both referring to the material being the defining feature of the art style. Mixed media describes sculptures made of more than one material. Found object is an art style is…

Upcycling Project Aesthetic: Grenade Moth

It is my plan to incorporate more than one aesthetic into my upcycled project. The main aesthetics I want to incorporate into my upcycle project are ‘dirty’, industrial and arts and crafts aesthetics. Similar to the fly sculpture seen below, I want to make a moth sculpture centered around a decommissioned grenade where the moth looks like it’s flying. Recycled grenade fly sculpture by Fred Conlon   Decommissioned grenade I have for the project   I have my own decommissioned ‘pineapple’ grenade which will act…

Upcycling Project: Minimalist desk/table light

I’ve decided to make a modern minimalist light out of recycled wood and a hanging light. The goal is to create a useful piece of art that combines the warm color of the filament light and the naturally bright color of the wood. The idea is not to have the light illuminate an entire room, but rather a small and intimate area that feels inviting and cozy. I’m thinking of putting it on a coffee table or small side table where you could comfortably drink coffee or…

Upcycling Project Aesthetic: Eldritch

I have decided to stick with the Eldritch aesthetic for my first project. My plan is to melt aluminum cans into ingots, then cast those to make a nightmare obelisk (but smaller). Precisely what this will look like, I am not yet sure, but with fire, a 3d printer, and some sand, I should be able to reform the aluminum shown below into whatever I envision. Below is an AI generated image fed the words nightmare obelisk from the Dream image generator website. While the…

Upcycle Project Aesthetic: Floral Embroidery

For my upcycle project I want to take an old pair of shoes I have and embroider them with flowers in addition to some other shapes. I though of this aesthetic because I have a shearling jacket I bought from a vintage store with embroidered flowers and I want to put something similar on a pair of shoes. This aesthetic is cool to me because it has a level of detail that I really like that adds color to something traditional and mundane. Jacket I…

Upcycling Aesthetic: Artificial Nature

My upcycling project aesthetic is going to be artificial nature. Artificial nature is the use of man made things that are put together or presented in a way that mimics a part of nature. To do this I am going to be using a variety of recycled/discarded materials to create a bird. I plan on using the different textures and colors of the materials I find to create a somewhat accurate representation. Like the above picture showing artwork by Natsumi Tomita, I plan to use…

Upcycle Project Aesthetic: After Hours

For my upcycle project, I decided to go with the After Hours aesthetic. The After Hours aesthetic is defined by the feelings you get from empty places at night time rather than a physical sense of aesthetic. From a visual sense, the After Hours aesthetic can be found in an empty bar, a dimly lit bus stop, streetlights, closed-up shops, and even blowing trash. However, this aesthetic is not supposed to invoke negative or unsettling feelings, on the contrary, it is supposed to give off…

Upcycling Project Aesthetic

The aesthetic that my upcycling project falls under is “Chinese Knotting” otherwise known as 中国结. This is typically a hand craft/folk decoration and is used to symbolize good luck. The knots may be made into bigger shapes to represent animals or they may also be just left as knots and/or patterns. I think that it fits the aesthetic because what I want to do for my project is exactly that (make a decorative fixture out of knots) just with old climbing rope that I have…

Upcycling Project Aesthetic – Minimalist Bike Fender

For my upcycling project, I will be making a rear bike fender. I will be using sheet aluminum from beer or soda cans. The aesthetic I have chosen is minimalism. I chose this aesthetic because I think it will match the style of my bike. The bike I have is a titanium-aluminum alloy that is very minimalist and sleek. Titanium bike frame designed and manufactured by Litespeed.   The minimalist aesthetic removes any excess clutter and only keeps what adds value to the object or…

Upcycling Aesthetic – Nature Core

For my upcycling project I am going to make a buffalo out of beer bottle caps similar to the image above. This demonstrates a nature core aesthetic because it has an earthy animal theme. I chose this aesthetic because I love to hike and be in the forest as well as drink beer so this project allows me to combine both of these passions and make something that I feel will be very cool.   References – https://www.wayfair.com/Ebern-Designs–Upcycled-Bottle-Cap-Bear-Wall-D%C3%A9cor-X111863720-L6851-K~W000752619.html?refid=GX560448448021-W000752619&device=c&ptid=926899379274&network=g&targetid=pla-926899379274&channel=GooglePLA&ireid=72972683&fdid=1817&gclid=CjwKCAiArY2fBhB9EiwAWqHK6ixliIbzJqklkLzC1Io5Eamwb3jPnDOXo38jzzn2IfV9m–PzR6StBoCByAQAvD_BwE

Upcycling Aesthetic – Industrial Style

Apartment Therapy Curated Interior   The aesthetic that I chose for my upcycling project is the industrial style. I have always liked the style as a practical person, and as an engineer and someone who worked as a mechanic in high school, the exposed structure and workings of these spaces are fascinating to me. The spaces also generally have interesting lighting solutions that are uncommon in most modern housing solutions. A particular example I have seen is ceiling-length skylights in a living area that was…

Upcycle Aesthetic – Desk Toy

For my upcycle project, I will make a desk toy out of a spare aluminum block I have. My goal is to make the block into a cube and then bore or turn several concentric circles or smaller sizes. This results in the appearance of small cubes inside the bigger cube. This is conventionally called a Turner Cube. My design will be a 2.5” cube of raw aluminum. This fits the desk toy aesthetic of raw, shiny metal, small, interesting, and figit-able. It provides me…

Upcycle Project Aesthetic : Contemporary Architecture Model

For my Upcycle Project, I will be looking at modern and contemporary architectural aesthetics to design a model out of cardboard, chipboard, bubble wrap, and various other recycled materials. As an architect major, my mind is always spiraling with different ways to design and create residential buildings or houses. With the ability to design nearly anything for this upcycle project, my fascination for contemporary homes has become ever so apparent. While I have had some experience designing residential models in the past, not one has…

Upcycling Project – Minimalism

For my upcycle project I am going to be constructing a headset stand inspired by the minimalist aesthetic. Over the years I have seen countless ads for headphone stands on the sidebars of websites I visit, promotions on amazon, and more. I really enjoy having my personal desk/workspace designed to my exact likings, and I very much like the idea of a headphone stand, however I feel like they are always so ugly and offensively colored, with unnecessary technology. The style I always saw them…

Upcycling Project Idea – Laser Cut Wall Plates

For my up-cycling project I’m turning a piece of saved firewood into a set of light switch and outlet covers for my parents house in Vermont. The house is a sort of rustic chic farmhouse aesthetic and the wood panels are meant to match. The farmhouse aesthetic is defined by exposed wood and stone elements, and I think the touch of natural material for the light switch covers will add to the expression of the aesthetic. I saved the wood because it had “spalted”, or…

Upcycling Aesthetic

I have chosen to focus on brutalist aesthetic for my project. Through my years here at CU I have always wondered why the engineering center was built the way it is. The rest of campus uses vibrant red bricks and ceilings while the engineering center looks like an old, concrete, decaying building. Recently I have learned a little more about CUs architecture and the decisions made when designing the building. Through doing my own research I found out about brutalist architecture. I found a large…

Upcycle Aesthetic: Imitating Nature

For my Upcycle project, I am choosing to build a 3-bulb lamp using an upcycled liquor bottle. I am hoping to imitate flowers in a vase with my creation, embracing the aesthetic of Electrical appliances imitating natures. The “flowers” will be the bulbs of the lamp, using upcycled stained glass to imitate petals. While I have not found lightbulbs yet, I will likely use Edison bulbs, allowing me to lean into the industrial feel. Thus, I hope to synthesize motifs from both nature and industry.…

Upcycling Aesthetic // Dadaist Collage Featuring National Geographic

After researching Dadaism for the Aesthetic Exploration post, I became inspired by one of the artists I found; Dash Snow. I really liked the way he arranged his collages and how some of the themes he created were easily identifiable. I wanted to create a set of collages similar in style to Dash Snow. I thought making multiple collages with different themes would really emphasize the style consistent throughout them all while also lessening the impact and significance I would need to impose on one…

Aesthetic for Upcycle Project

I will be creating my Upcycle project to have the aesthetic of an antique wood postcard. Guadalupe Mountains National Park Postcard [1] This aesthetic uses vibrant colors, simple shapes, and figures to create complex scenes. This style uses a lot of colors to create a vibrant scene. These colors are muted to create a vintage look. This style is also common on antique travel posters.                     Glacier National Park Postcard [2] I will be creating my…

Upcycling Project Aesthetic: Mountain/ Rural/ Industrial

I have chosen to pick a rural industrial aesthetic for my upcycling project. I live in a rural, mountainous area (western slope, CO), so the materials available here are generally rural or rural industrial in their aesthetic. I work as a mountain guide on the weekends, which means that I have a lot of gear to organize and maintain, and living in a small apartment means that I have very little space to accommodate this gear, and I need better ways to do so. For…

Cybernetic Punk, My Up-cycling Aesthetic

My up-cycling project aesthetic will be Cybernetic Punk. It focuses on a hectic state of being terminally online, with motifs such as chaotic wires and cables, old computers, and confusing symbols and jargon. I choose this aesthetic for 2 main reasons. One is that I have a host of old circuit boards, wires, and electronic components at my disposal. The other is that I find this aesthetics commentary on how harsh poorly designed digital and physical interfaces can be with our ever increasingly frequent use…

Tensegrity Table with Floating and Balance Aesthetic

My upcycle project idea is to create a tensegrity table using some cheap cord from Mcguckins and scrap wood in the Makerspace in the Idea Forge on campus. A tensegrity table has been something I have wanted to make for a few years now but never had the proper motivation. A tensegrity table consists of a two-part table with the upper half being suspended above the bottom only using tensional forces alone.  This seems counter-intuitive since how do you separate and hold something above you…

Cruiser/Café Racer Style (Desktop Paperweight)

My passion for high performance vehicles has always been at the forefront of my academic ambition. I have always pictured myself in the automotive motorsports industry: Formula 1, Moto GP, and the likes. Mechanical Engineering is something that embodies that. When I think of Mechanical Engineering down to its core, I think of nuts and bolts. I drew my inspiration for this project from that very foundation and decided to create a metal sculpture of a motorcycle made out of various assortments of machine bolts,…

Industrial Design Aesthetic Upcycle project

I decided to do a wall hanger using old sparkplugs and wood following the Industrial Design Aesthetic. As it has to be an upcycle project, I will get the spark plugs from my own car and the wood from a scrap material place. In today’s world, it’s more important than ever to find ways to reduce waste and reuse materials. With the use of readily available materials, this project is both eco-friendly and cost-effective. Upcycling is a creative solution to this problem, as it transforms…

Upcycling Aesthetic \\ Heider Iacometti

For my upcycling aesthetic I plan on using recycled cans to create a hawk. Originally. After one of my friends saw my concept art, it turned from a hawk into a Xatu, a flying type pokemon. https://www.serebii.net/pokedex-swsh/xatu/   Since I plan on using recycled cans, I have selected a few cans for each of the colors needed. To start, green is a very predominant color for this piece, I plan on using rolling rock beer cans to cover all of the green we need. I…

Upcycling Aesthetic – 35mm Film Collage with Planters

The aesthetic I decided on for my project is the 35mm film collage aesthetic. This aesthetic falls under the general umbrella of “collage”, but has unique elements. Mainly, that the collage is entirely made out of 35mm film. Sarah Goodman – 35mm Film Collage – Tip London Event (2018) *Link inactive There are other elements that tend to be unique to the aesthetic though. The first is that 35mm film has a distinct film grade. This gives the collage a feeling of nostalgia that can’t…

Upcycling Aesthetic – Installation art and Absurdism

For my upcycling project, I’m going to make a simple press, similar to a bookbinding press. It doesn’t have to be very large and doesn’t have to apply that much force, so I’m planning to have a suspended weight below the press to apply the force, instead of using mechanical advantage. For materials, I’m planning to use found wood for the press itself, retired climbing rope to suspend a weight and metal extrusion if I can find it for the frame and legs, otherwise, those…

Violin Picture Frame

For my upcycling project, I wanted to create something that I will be able to continue to use in the future. I will be creating a household item that follows in the Biophilic design aesthetic. This aesthetic was described in my previous post as integrating nature with human designs. Because of this, I will be creating a moss-grown picture frame out of an old broken violin, some recycled laser cut board and some plastic bags. I love plants and enjoy the aesthetic of incorporating plants…

Upcycle Project with Aesthetic of Minimalism

The aesthetic I would like to use in my Upcycle project is Minimalism. (Image from:https://www.dontwasteyourmoney.com/best-minimalist-desk/) Well, to be more specific, a Scandi Style stationery that I can decorate on my desk every day. I would like to cut a piece of solid wood and make a nice-looking design smartphone stand by myself. I have done quite a few paper sketches about its look and cut the piece of material just for testing the weight and getting familiar with the saws in the BTU lab. The…

Upcycled Tobacco Pouch with Traditional Japanese Aesthetic

For my upcycling project I want to create something I’ll actually end up using that also has a strong aesthetic. For products like this I usually look for historical or traditional examples. Oftentimes objects with strong tradition have elaborate rules for decoration, but also are rooted in purpose. Using new materials in conjunction with old ideas is one of my favorite things in design. I started by thinking of a material, one I’ve seen used well before in clothing upcycling projects is plastic shopping bags.…

Functionalist Hammer upcycle

The aesthetic I wish to explore is functionalism; this is idea that a things pure value and beauty is derived from it’s use (or function). I may not agree directly with this aesthetics’ cut and dry approach to beauty but I do believe that things which are functional and beautiful are more valuable that one that are mutually exclusive. I wish to make a hammer for my upcycle project out of scrap materials such as steel, wood and brass; the form of the tool will…

Choosing the Coffee House Aesthetic for an Upcycling Project

For my Upcycling Project, I plan on adopting the coffee house aesthetic, and working with wood, cardboard, and other salvaged materials to create some sort of side or coffee table. Whilst the exact details of this piece aren’t finalized yet, the feelings the aesthetic evokes are certain to be replicated.  This aesthetic piqued my interest as it was one I am extremely familiar with. Throughout my academic career, coffee houses have long been places of focus, and intent. Their color palette isn’t eye catching, but…

Keyboard Upcycle – Pixel Art Aesthetic

For my upcycle aesthetic, I would like to focus on the pixel art aesthetic. I was drawn to this aesthetic as the object I want to upcycle in a computer keyboard, and I want to reuse the keys to compose a piece of art. The genre that most closely matches artwork rendered from many small squares is pixel art. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Pixel_Art_Cat_with_Zoom-in_Detail.png https://www.chicaandjo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/diy_colorful_computer_keyboard_02.jp   Pixel art is art drawn with pixels as the only building block (1). Some characteristics of it are that it is usually “low…

Nature vs Humanity

The aesthetic I will be exploring is the same aesthetic as my first blog post! Depictions of this aesthetic include imagery of nature flourishing despite man-made obstacles – how humanity has abandoned, neglected, or mistreated a space that was once vital to everyday life. This style was popularized by multiple forms of media, ranging from photographs, paintings, films, shows, and video games. As concern for climate change and other environmental impacts grew, it was not uncommon for movies and novels in the early 2000s to…

Upcycle Wood Wall Piece – Rustic/ Fractal Burn aesthetic

While trying to find ideas online of what kind of project i would like to do, i decided to go onto aesdes.org to find some inspiration. I had stumbled upon Chris Gibbs upcycle final report and i thought it was very cool. Their project was a Litchenberg Fractal Vinyl Frame.  Ive seen this be done before on YouTube videos and I have always found it cool and satisfying to watch, but I never put too much thought of doing it myself. Now i have the…

Upcycle Cat House – 70’s Theme

For my upcycling project, I was really stuck on what I wanted to design. I knew I wanted to incorporate the use of cardboard. As an out-of-state student, I have a ton of old cardboard boxes that I use to move back and forth. Rather than tossing the cardboard away, I believe I can make something useful out of it. My first thought was to make a bedside table. It wasn’t very exciting to me though, so I pushed the idea away. The following day,…