Student Work

In the past week I had a new idea for my upcycle project that I like better than my original idea. Instead of trying to make a coat rack from a cello neck, I have decided to make a lamp with a base that is either a trombone or a trumpet. I will probably end…

I Finally decided on what Project I am going to work on  where I aim to transform an old globe into a mesmerizing piece of art that levitates and showcases a steampunk aesthetic. This report outlines my plans, fabrication schedule, and the materials I have collected so far. Project Concept My vision is to create…

Sketch of wall sculpture I am still planning on creating a metallic wall sculpture using aluminum cans as my primary source of material. I plan to build something similar to the sketch shown above. I estimate that I’ll need around 30 cans to complete the wall sculpture. I want my decoration to be a decent…

MAIN UPDATE Hello Everyone, I’m excited to share with you all my overall plan and ideation for my Upcycling Project. For this project I am upcycling an old pair of jeans by using various fabrics and materials. This week I have started sketching out my plan for the design and finalized my materials. PROGRESS Currently,…

I have made no progress thus far (I am all for procrastination apparently). I have signed up for the sewing workshops at the Idea Forge since I have no experience with a sewing machine. I have hand-stitched a wee bit for shoddy arts and crafts with my friends although. I embroidered a goofy-looking flower on…

Joshua Beijer Upcycling Project Progress So far for the project I have made designs, collected materials, and taken a workshop in the Idea Forge wood shop. I created the designs in Solidworks with a CAD model and engineering drawing. I then collected an aspen log from my parents’ house this past weekend. I plan to…

Admittedly, I haven’t made any progress on constructing my upcycling project. However, I have though a little bit more about how I would like the final form to look and which recycled elements I will use to construct it. This post will mainly focus on the initial research that I have done into what it…

For my Upcyle project, I have chosen to pursue an “earthcore”/”granola girl” aesthetic. The decision to do so was a direct result of the primary material I have chosen to use for this project. As an avid enjoyer of Earth and the outdoors, I try to gravitate towards products from companies that keep in mind…

In terms of progress on my upcycling project I have decided on my design, material choice and begun creating a 3D model which I will go into in more detail below. Below in Figure 1 is a sketch of my design breaking it down into its 6 components. As can be seen in the side…

Hello Everyone!  As far as progress goes for my shelving unit, I am quite pleased with where I am. I have been doing extensive searches for material as this will be my most limiting factor and came up short for the last week. However, I was able to find someone on facebook marketplace who was…

When considering my upcycle project, I knew that I wanted to use cardboard and laser cutting. This is because three years ago, my freshman year, I heavily utilized cardboard laser cutting for my school projects, and I absolutely loved it. Now that I am graduating soon, I would like to freshen up my laser cutting…

For my upcoming project, I’ve decided to dive into the world of industrial-themed sculpture. This decision was heavily inspired by Peter Arnold’s insightful blog post where he describes the Industrialism Aesthetic as, “The Industrialism Aesthetic is one primarily characterized by the use of unfinished materials, exposed structures, neutral color palettes, openness, functional-minimalism, and urban decay.”…

My immediate thought for what I wanted to do for the upcycle project was to make a shirt. I’ve wanted to get better at sewing for a long time, and I thought it would be a great idea to make one for this class. The only issue was that I had absolutely no idea what…

Project Overview For the upcycle project I will be designing a climbing hangboard using offcuts and scraps of different pieces of wood. As a climber and an engineer, designing and creating my own hangboard is a great way to introduce crossover between my passions. Hangboards are common training devices used for climbing to improve grip…

As someone who has a growing record collection, I have been getting increasingly into music from the ’70s. I have always enjoyed music from this time period but hearing original pressed records through my record player has only boosted my appreciation. Artists like the Doors, Fleetwood Mac, Jefferson Airplane, Three Dog Night, and David Bowie…

Afrofuturism 2.0 by John Jennings https://nicolas-celnik.medium.com/afrofuturism-decolonizing-the-imagination-579dc1f3e7a9 The design aesthetic I am choosing for my upcycling project is Afrofuturism, a recent cultural and art movement that has increased in popularity in the last decade. Afrofuturism, as the name suggests, combines the cultural heritage of many different African countries and communities with modern digital technological design. Most oftenly,…

The Aesthetic I will be exploring throughout my project is industrial minimalism. This rather niche aesthetic often spoke to me when I was in a home or business for the first time. Exposed pipes, rusting metal, and sharp edges just scratch the surface of this aesthetic. In addition, many people leave materials un-painted, leaving a…

The Maximalist aesthetic, the complete use of space for detail and expression. Whether that with be with colors, patterns, or carvings, the piece is taken to its upmost potential of expression through detail. In most popular media, to create a more lively environment, the maximalist design often expresses that “lived-in” feeling to what ever location…

For this upcycling project, I plan to use a large sheet of scrap paper, scrap wood, and components from an unused lamp to make a functioning mid-century modern lamp with origami elements in the form of a lampshade/light diffuser. I’m drawn to the mid-century movement and I believe that the aesthetic goes very nicely with…

What am I making? The design will be a Newton’s Cradle, made out of sticks, twine, and stones. I am going to search for the proper size, strength, and  shape sticks as well as rocks around and about, as well as thin twine or similar substitute. This falls under the Pioneer Primitive aesthetic, seen in…

For my upscaling project there are two routes I am exploring; one that is set in stone and another that is in the works. As of writing this I am still undecided. Hence, “Up in the Air”. The one that is set in stone (and what I will be doing if the other project falls…

 Crafting Artistry: Upcycling Clase Azul Tequila Bottles into Margarita Cups Nick Olguin Clase Azul Master Artisans by Angel Santos. Courtesy of Clase Azul In the world of premium tequilas, Clase Azul stands out not only for its exceptional taste but also for its exquisite bottles, which are a true testament to the artistry and craftsmanship…

As per my aesthetic exploration, I will be using ‘old school hip hop’ as my project aesthetic. I am very into old-school hip-hop! I could go on and on about the history, the different artists, the lyricism of different songs, etc. Specifically, I am intrigued by the music itself. Other than hearing “Hypnotize” in “10…

For my upcycling project, I have decided to create an iPad holder for my desk that fits into the Skateshop Aesthetic. Before I talk about my project I would like to explain what the Skateshop Aesthetic looks like. At its core, the skateshop Aesthetic encompasses anything that looks like it belongs in a skateshop. This…

When I first began brainstorming about an Aesthetic that was interesting to me I could not help but be drawn to delve into RAUH-Welt BEGRIFF Porsches. Although it is not a typical aesthetic relating to fashion or architecture, I do believe that these cars can be viewed as art and have guiding principles. Embark with…

Background During winter break, I had the opportunity to visit Bali with my family. Being someone of Indian descent, I have visited India and other countries in Southeast Asia before. However, the traditional Balinese architecture that I witnessed on this trip amazed me for numerous reasons. Although I could discern influence from Indian, Thai, and…

Minimalism Introduction Through my exploration of design aesthetics, I chose to talk about minimalism. This design aesthetic is centered around generating art which consists of placing more emphasis on the quality over the quantity, following the ethos of “less is more.” This is an intriguing art form to me due to the care which artists…

INTRODUCTION The aesthetic I have chosen is Cottagecore [1]. This aesthetic encapsulates the essence of simple living, countryside charm, and a peaceful connection with nature [2]. This movement draws inspiration from a romanticized interpretation of western agricultural life, embracing values like gardening, sewing one’s clothes, and a rejection of modernity. Let’s explore the intricate characteristics…

Many of us are familiar with the great artists of the Impressionist movement in art history. Claude Monet, Eduard Manet, Vincent van Gogh, Georges Seurat, Berthe Morisot, and Mary Cassatt all come to mind when you think of the Impressionists. However, their creative visions were so nearly snuffed out by the established, classical art culture…

A large craze that we have seen take over the world of interior design and so-called “hype” locations is industrial design. With its raw nature industrial design is characterized by exposed beams, harsh unpainted metals, exposed brick, strong angles, and an overall unfinished or unpolished feel. Image from: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/industrial-interior-design-explained Though the aesthetic has grown in…

Fig 1: CU Boulder Engineering Center, Extremely Brutalist. Photo from the CU Boulder Website Brutalism is a aesthetic defined by functionality, a form of architecture that shows the raw materials of construction. Brutalist is defined by exposed construction materials, unusually shaped buildings and monochromatic colors. Many of the monumental concrete structures seen all over the…

The Birth of Psychedelia In 1943, scientist Albert Hofmann synthesized and experimented with LSD, and in the resulting decades, this drug influenced art in a revolutionary way. LSD was initially picked up by many surrealist scholars and artists who were connected with Hofmann, and it had a heavy influence in the literature created during the…

Art Deco is a style that became popular in the 1920s and 1930s. It started in France and quickly spread around the world. This style is known for its sharp, clean lines, bright colors, and fancy decorations. It was a way to show off wealth and the excitement of the modern world during a time…

Art Nouveau is a style of art and architecture that originated in Europe in the late 19th century. Inspiration for this aesthetic often came from nature, following the natural and sinuous shapes of plants and flowers. We also see a large focus on dynamics, movement, and asymmetry, within Art Nouveau, as well as a focus…

Hip-hop originated in 1970s New York (although it’s highly debated by neighborhoods (Queens, Brooklyn) that were the originators). Even so, the culture began to rise among youths of the time from all neighborhoods. B-boying (break-dancing), jamming to local disc jockeys. The music carried across from coast to coast, inviting those who are creative and have…

Skate shoes are an unusual type of footwear, as they are rapidly destroyed during the act of skateboarding. Abrasion with the grip tape during flip tricks and ollies wears through the upper, blows out stiches, and cuts through laces. Thin soles are preferred for better board feel, but at the same time impact protection must…

The Minimalism Aesthetic is known for having a clean visually appealing style. It is characterized by bright neutral colors and minimal distractions. This aesthetic originated as an art style back in the late 1950s. Frank Stella, an abstract painter born in Malden, Massachusetts, was one of the first major contributors to the minimalist art style…

For my aesthetics exploration I decided to look into the architectural design and aesthetics of Frank Lloyd Wright’s many designs. Wright’s style over his lifetime evolved over time starting with his works from 1899 – 1910 where he developed the “Prairie Style” of architecture, which emphasized the horizontal line of the prairie and domesticity. Later…

Desert Modernism   After World War Two, many Americans who lived in Southern California saw a large construction boom when heading towards the Coachella Valley. With the harsh and rugged environment of the Southern California desert, many architects were able to experiment in a region that had little architectural influence prior. Here, Desert Modernism was…

The above image is by (1) Icelantic, Parr, 2024, https://www.icelanticskis.com/products/23-24-pioneer-86. This illustrates the 2023/2024 Pioneer 86 skis. The art on the topsheet was created by Travis Parr. Icelantic is a ski company that was started in Colorado in 2005. The company handmakes their own skis, and they add super cool art prints to the top…

Introduction The Industrialism Aesthetic is one primarily characterized by the use of unfinished materials, exposed structures, neutral color palettes, openness, functional-minimalism, and urban decay. A good example would be repurposed factory or warehouse spaces; see the Boulder Urban Outfitters store. Boulder UO https://boulderdowntown.com/go/urban-outfitters Boulder UO https://foursquare.com/v/urban-outfitters/4a6a24adf964a520b1cc1fe3 History The industrialism aesthetic has seen two primary occurrences…