Gardner’s Contemporary Side Table
I’ve decided to make a small side table. My goal was to use my aesthetic exploration of contemporary design. I wanted to blend a natural material and texture with something very inorganic. With this in mind, I started sketching furniture that had a cascade of hard white or grey material, with a drawer or shelf…
Using Books for Storage (Upcyle Progress)
For my up-cycle project, I plan on using old books as a form of decorative storage. When I was younger I used to have something called a book-safe that had the appearance of a book, but acted as a safe. It only had a couple of pages and the rest of it was a hollow…
Not sure what this is quite yet….
…But it was quite painstaking to make. It’s been more about the process than the result so far. When my mind is racing, which happens fairly often, I take comfort in doing repetitive activities. Sometimes, that can be as simple as chewing sunflower seeds or tossing a tennis ball in the air. In this case, it was…
Yarn from plastic bags
My sister in law crochets grocery bags out of other plastic bags; very robust creations. This woman takes it further and makes fine thread.
Giving SORRY a New Look
For my Upcycle project, I will be recreating the board layout used in the board game SORRY. This idea came about because I like the idea of converting scrap wood from a previous project into something useful. It sucks when you can’t use small sections after cutting up the main piece! Additionally, I have an…
Street Photography
Street photography emerged with the advent of portable cameras. Street photography captures daily life, human interactions, and candid moments. Capturing pictures as a street photographer involves observing and reacting to the environment around you. There is no simple, precise definition of what qualifies an image as street photography. However, there are several acclaimed street photographers…
05 Aesthetics tour concluded
05 Aesthetics Tour Conclusion Voted on comment policy (see next post), then Meet Your Team. If you were absent, contact your team immediately!
Upcycling Inspiration – Woven Tape Measures
I was in Hong Kong a while back and came across this shop called “GOD” (Goods of Desire). They were selling handbags made of woven seamstress tape measures. I thought it was a clever way to make a super durable product. Like most things at GOD, these bags were extremely over priced. The next time…
04 Logistics and more tour
04 Aesthetics Tour continued Much discussion of what comments are reasonable to expect, and what comments students are willing to make. Bring clickers, we’ll vote next meeting.
Chinese Warring States Period Lacquerware Design
The Warring States period is a very early period of Chinese history. It started around 475BC and ends at around 247BC. This period is the 1st booming time of the Chinese lacquerware design and production due to changes of people’s sense of aesthetics and improvements of the lacquerware making skills. Lacquerwares are are objects decoratively…
Modern Design
I am a big fan of modern design when it comes to furniture and houses. I especially like the aesthetic that focuses more on mixing nature and organic shapes with highly contrasting forms and materials. Modern interior design also tends to have high contrast in color schemes. Although a lot of modern interior design also…
Aesthetics of Chinese Qipao(cheongsam)
In my opinion, the Chinese Qipao is not only a traditional dress for women, but also genuinely a piece of art. It is featured by stand collar, right side opening, fitting waist and slip bottom, which can fully set off the beauty of the female shape. It is usually made of excellent materials like silk, silk brocade, satin,…
The Aesthetic of Wes Anderson
I love Wes Anderson films. Primarily, I love his aesthetic- regardless of which film you’re watching, you can always recognize his distinct style. Specific elements that I think underscore this. First, his shot and scene composition are super-intentional. Visual symmetry and balance are huge elements of each shot he constructs. This video from Vimeo user…
Aesthetics of Incredibly Small Things
Bigger is better? Not for this spectacle of art. This aesthetic focuses on the art form of regular everyday things in an irregular size – specifically, incredibly small. These tiny replicas, despite being tiny, manage to draw in more attention than it they do at their regular size. For example, yesterday’s lunch? Already forgot. But take…
Post Apocalypse Survivor
The aesthetics of the post apocalypse survivor may differ depending on the situation that the survivor finds themselves in. That being said there are many common elements among all forms of the theme. The genre of disaster films has been popular throughout much of the 20th century and has continued to be popular into the 21st…
Aesthetics of ATVs
When I hear the word ATV, short for all terrain vehicle, I automatically think four wheeler because those are the ATVs I grew up with and are the most common incarnation of the ATV. However, ATVs were originally invented as three wheelers, with the first ATV from a major manufacturer, Honda, shown below. This is…
Telefoni Bianchi (Italian ‘White Telephone’ Films of the 1930’s)
In the 1930’s, a white telephone was a luxury item and a symbol of opulence. This visual status symbol indicated great wealth and represents an era of Italian filmmaking focused on the glamorous lives of those who could afford such an ostentatious technology1. The aesthetic of these films revolved around lush settings and grand, splendid worlds in…
Retro Ski
Retro Ski Though this old school style on the ski slopes began in the 1930s and 40s, it peaked in the mid 60s though the 70s. The retro style includes both a mentality as well as a physical rad getup. style of advertising Old School http://www.skinet.com/ski/article/throwback-thursday-radical-freestyle The one-piece snowsuit is more than just…
The Evolving Nerd Culture
The Nerd (adjective: nerdy), is a descriptive word to identify a person who is overly intelligent, obsessive, and/or lacking social skills. Typically this individual may spend outrageous amount of time on obscure, unpopular, non-mainstream activities or culture. Also, generally speaking the topics usually have a highly technical theme or relating to fantasy and fiction. A…
Aesthetics of Rickenbacker Guitars
Rickenbacker guitars and basses have an iconic style that is straight out of the 1950’s. Since their creation these guitars have been played by some of the biggest artists such as The Beatles, The Who, The Eagles, Rush, Yes, and many more. In addition to the identifiable visual aesthetic, Rickenbacker guitars have a very distinct…
Simplify It
A movie poster is is meant to draw the eye, tell a story, and encourage movie goers to spend the movie on their film. They are the combination of commercial purpose and artistic expression. Movie posters began in the late 1800s as paintings, usually of a scene from the movie, with a small block that…
Aesthetics of Surrealism
Perhaps most notable by the works of Salvador Dali, surrealism is a cultural movement popularized in Paris during the early 1920s. Surrealism developed mostly from the Dada movement, and was firmly established by André Breton with his writing, Surrealist Manifesto. In this work, Breton described surrealism as “pure psychic automatism”. This phrase captures the freedom…
Cowboy Up!
Growing up in Steamboat, I was surrounded by two main themes, Skiing and ranching. This meant that dressing up in our school meant either a suit or something similar to this: Formal Cowboy Wear (source: http://www.blacktieguide.com/blog/2013/12/18/the-western-tuxedo/) This country western/Cowboy aesthetic has been around for a long time dating back to the 19th century in northern Mexico.…
Pixel Art
Pixelrama of Tokyo by eBoy An aesthetic with which I have had interest in for a while is Pixel Art. Popularized during the 1980s and 90s in video games, the aesthetic has been revived in recent years due, in part, to the nostalgia each tiny square carries with it. The idea behind pixel art is…
Aesthetics of the Log Cabin
The log cabin aesthetic brings a certain type of homey-ness to a structure. Its a fairly engrained imagine in our heads at this point: the minimalist but cozy interior, dim lighting, warm atmosphere. http://www.everything-log-homes.com/images/log-home-interiors.jpg It’d be hard to date the origin of this aesthetic, but it is an old one. Back in the day (way back),…
WPA Posters
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3b48847 Art to spread awareness for syphilis? During the depression in the 1930’s, jobs were hard to come by for most everybody in the United Sates. Artists especially felt the squeeze as Americans worried more about putting food on the table than supporting the arts. As part of the New Deal, the Works Progress Administration (WPA)…
Modern Aesthetics of Coffee
For many people, drinking their morning coffee is a ritual needed to kick start the day. Coffee was popularized across Europe in the 17th century, which quickly launched Brazil into becoming the worlds largest bean producer [1]. Today, the average US citizen consumes 7.5lb of beans annually [2]. Recently, coffee has experienced a craft revolution that has popularized micro-roasteries, local coffee shops, espresso drinks,…
Minimalism
Minimalism began in the 1960’s to early 1970’s as a contrasting aesthetic compared to Abstract expressionism. The primary element of Minimalism is the reduction of features to achieve the most simple design or image. Minimalism is seen in many different mediums ranging from paintings to architecture to apparel. Some people even live their lives as…
Art Deco
Early in the 20th century, the Art Deco visual aesthetic was highly influential in fine art, industrial design and architecture. Art Deco is one of my favorite aesthetics because it radiates an optimism about the future. It alludes to the possibilities of human industry with stately figures and clean symmetric lines. I was reminded of the…
Wine Bottles
http://www.storageltd.com/blog/how-to-store-wine-bottle-of-different-sizes Most people can recognize a wine bottle when they see one. Despite the wide variety of bottle shapes and sizes, there are three styles that are the most common: the Bordeaux, the Burgundy, and the Mosel/Alsace. These bottle styles appeared due to significant advances in glass making in the early 1800s, which allowed for thicker…
The Aesthetics of Kaiju
Kaiju, translated from Japanese as “strange beast” , is a film genre centered around giant monsters attacking Japanese metropolises. The film credited as the first in the genre is also the most recognizable name: Godzilla. Directed in 1954 by Ishiro Honda, Godzilla spawned a genre of monster films which gave rise to famous monsters such as…
Skater Shoes
Shoes are an essential part of anyone’s wardrobe in that they protect the wearer’s feet, can be used for various levels of activity, and can show the personal style of the wearer to others. A shoe that I have found to be my favorite all around type of shoe for casual wear are skater shoes, and…
Beer, Booze, and the Beauty of Industrial Architecture
Many breweries like to keep things simple, doing minimal work to get the brewery looking nice. Taking advantage of the industrial “warehousey” feel of the buildings which house many breweries is crucial for many breweries. By using and accentuating exposed concrete, brick, piping, and dark muted colors, breweries can create a very modern and welcoming…
Japanese Dekotora Trucks
http://www.tofugu.com/2012/01/12/dekotora-dekochari/ Dekotora or “decoration trucks” emerged when the Japanese series “Truck Guys” came out in 1975 [1]. The plot of the story involves two men who travel across Japan in their decorated trucks, basically fighting crime and protecting people and being portrayed as heroes. [1] http://www.tofugu.com/2012/01/12/dekotora-dekochari/ http://blog.livedoor.jp/iketerutruck/ Since the series came out, hobbyists and truck drivers…
Apple Design Aesthetic
Under the sometimes manic guidance from Steve Jobs, Apple product designers were able to redefine the tech industry with a sleek aesthetic that has now become the norm within the industry. The aesthetic is characterized by clean lines with the absence of clutter and, more recently, with an outer shell of aluminum. The original inspiration…
Molecular Gastronomy
http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/edible-innovations/molecular-gastronomy.htm Molecular gastronomy is defined as a type of food science that utilizes physical and chemical transformations of ingredients to create meals and drinks that are shown in a new light. While the art form first started out as a food science, it has slowly grown into an aesthetic in design as the focused…
Flat Design
Google’s Material Design Guidelines (Google.com) The “Flat” or “Material Design” aesthetic is gaining popularity across multiple different mediums- from digital design to print, to cars, and even fashion. Making a first appearance in 1950s and 1960s magazines and tabloids, the flat aesthetic has continued to gain popularity. After a modern culture boom in skeuomorphism (think fake wood-texture paneling…
Aesthetics of Smartphones
Smartphones have become ingrained in many peoples’ lives as an essential device. A device that can handle nearly all the productivity in your life is very convenient. Because of the rapid advancement of technology these days, all aspects of smartphones including their aesthetics have evolved over time. They started out as slow, clunky bricks and…
Drone Surf Footage
The past few years have seen a sharp increase in the scope of what drones can capture on camera, as well as the environments in which they capture this footage. Ever since my childhood, I have been a huge fan of surf films, ranging from The Endless Summer in 1966 to the recently released View From a Blue…
Progression of Freestyle Snowboarding
Freestyle snowboarding has exponentially gaining viewers over the past decade. One of the most notable events in this extreme sport is the Winter X Games. Within the X Games there are multiple snowboarding events however, Big Air takes the crown. The worlds greatest snowboarders get together and put on the show of a lifetime sending their…
Androgynous
http://setuptheupset.com/blogs/uncvrd/25735364-10-androgynous-moments-that-changed-fashion-forever Androgyny was identified first by plato as a combination of the two sexes. His myth tell the story of three sexes; male, female, and male-female respectively from the sun, earth, and the moon. The synthesis of the two sexes gives the male and female characteristics of style, music, expression, sexual experience, and appearance in…
Ski Town Aesthetic
After spending the weekend skiing at Vail (a rare and lucky treat), I’ve been thinking about the quintessential “ski town” aesthetic that the town has established. From your first turn off of I-70, you know that you’re in a special kind of mountain town, one that certainly emphasizes aesthetics and experience over economy or accessibility. In addition to the world-class…
Surf Inspired Snowboards
As a California Native growing up with access to both the coast and the mountains, I was drawn to thrills of surfing and snowboarding. In recent years, the two sports have collided and are bringing inspiration to each other. After living in Colorado these last few years, I have noticed how the surfing industry has…
Modern Rustic Design
The Modern Rustic aesthetic is my all-time favorite design style. Its warm, natural and inviting, yet also clean and simple. Also know as ‘rustic modern’, this design style became recognized at some point in the 20th century. The earliest book I could find describing this aesthetic was written in 2000 by Ali Hanan: “Modern Rustic: Natural Ideas…
Martial Arts
Simplified down, martial arts are systems of training for combat, each with a unique philosophy on fighting. Some martial arts like Tai Chi focus on inner development and health while some like Muay Thai focus on tournament style fighting. Whether a student is training for self-defense, competition, fitness, entertainment, or for spiritual development, all styles…
Rat Rods
If you are familiar with rat rods the term may conjure images of Mad Max and the over-the-top rust-buckets that sped through the desert in the never-ending chase scene that comprised the entire movie. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) Entertainment Weekly To many, they are cosmetically and mechanically cobbled together machines from repurposed parts used…
Cafe Racers
1969 Norton Commando Cafe Racer Born in the UK during the 1960’s the Cafe Racer was the answer for British petrol heads, these stripped down and heavily modified bikes were built to race from cafe to cafe at speeds near or in excess of 100 mph. Originally British bikes from Triumph and Norton were favorites…
Idea Forge Resources
Idea Forge Info sheet 1.12.16 List of who’s who, what’s where, and when in the Idea Forge.
Danish Design in the mid-1900s
Denmark has played a large role in the development of Scandinavian design focusing mostly on the simplicity and functionality of their designs. With widespread globalization, Danish influence can be seen in Ikea products, kitchen wares, audio, lighting, furniture, and even in the Sydney Opera House. The largest surge in modern Danish design came post World…
03 Upcycle examples and Aesthetics Tour Continued
Lecture 03 Upcycle, Aesthetics Tour continued January 15,2016 Gave some examples of upcycling, using common or recycled materials for a higher value object. See the Links for other examples. Then continued the Aesthetics Tour.
“Dia De Los Muertos” [Day of the Dead]
“Dia De Los Muertos” Day of the Dead is full of aesthetics, from the Grave decoration, the parades, and the attire they where to celebrate the dead. learn a little of the history of the Day of the Dead and enjoy the visuals. Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a rich Mexican…
Aesthetics of Michael Bay Films
Although I am not a film expert or critic of any sort, one Aesthetic that I found particularly interesting was the general feel and aesthetic of Michael Bay films. His films are most commonly exemplified by having direct storylines, a great deal of action, comp lex technical features, and explosions. Lot’s of lot’s of explosions. In addition,…
Giant pinecones from shovels
From RecyclArt.org. Looks like a good site for upcycling inspirations.
Beer can costume
video of ‘monsters’ in costume of beer cans https://www.blazenfluff.com/mysterious-parade-of-brazilian-monsters-suited-up-in-beer-and-soda-cans/9903 Someone in class mentioned that they had a lot of soda cans that they were thinking of using for the Upcycle Assignment. I found it shared on Facebook.
03 Upcycling and Aesthetics Tour Continued
03 Upcycle, Aesthetics Tour continued Lots of links in the attached file. We also shared ideas for the upcycling project in small discussion groups.
02 History of Aesthetics
Today: admin stuff; ITLL and Idea Forge tour and workshop info. Then the History of Aesthetics, including the all-encompassing Hertzberg Theory of Art. Then we started a Tour of Aesthetics, to be continued on Friday. Many students wanted to see the rest of the Dance Vines 2015 video. 02 Definition of Aesthetics Lecture notes pdf.
01 First class
We went over the syllabus and initial assignments. At the end of the class I finally stopped talking and started asking questions: About half the class was familiar with WordPress as a blogging platform. Almost everyone has a clicker. I’ll bring a few to give out to the ones who need one (why doesn’t CU…
Rolling through the bay
Source: Rolling through the bay A wonderful example of upcycled outsider art. Scott Weaver created an elaborate sculpture of San Francisco, made entirely of toothpicks, around 100,000 of them. A ping pong ball rides on tracks through the sculpture, visiting sites of importance to the sculptor. I saw this at the American Visionary Museum in…
Initial Assignments
Initial Assignments pdf version Read syllabus, either hardcopy or online (AesDes.org). Return signed hardcopy syllabus agreement in class Friday January 15. Complete the AesDes Perception Survey by midnight Tuesday January 12! You will receive an email invitation from Qualtrics with a link. Your responses will be kept anonymous from me until after the end of…
Student posting guidelines
Post! Post! Post often! Do plan to describe your current project work at least once a week. Special posts will be requested for milestones like design reviews and other assignments. Outside of those requirements we are hoping that you will post links to interesting topics related to the course, and that you will comment freely.…
Enter the annual DWR Champagne Chair Contest
If you want to get started with a pre-course warm-up project, check out this competition for tiny chairs made from champagne corks and wire cages. Competition closes Friday Jan 8, 2016. Happy New Year!
Aesthetics of Design starting soon!
Aesthetics of Design is a course being developed at the University of Colorado Boulder by me, Prof. Jean Hertzberg (and thanks to Jiffer Harriman and Hunter Ewen, who co-taught with me the first time in May 2014). Grad and undergrad students from our Mechanical Engineering program, plus students from TAM and other programs will design…
Abigail Angwin
Adlai White
Alexis Cisneros
Alex Fitzgerald
Alex Gebben
Alex Reynolds
Aj Terio
Andres Serrano
Aryan
Ari Matrajt Frid
Arjun Mody
Barrett Lister
Ben Clairday
Benjamin Hyde
Blake Wilson
Lavender Giebner
Brandon Phillips
Cannon Leitz
Chris Wachuta
Colton Huff
Collin Kendall
Cole Metcalf
Collin Ruprecht
David Li
Duncan Laird
Dylan Breglio
Efrosini Krokos
Emilee Novak
Ethan Polacsek
Ethan Sanchez
Ethan Silverman
Fin McKemey
Garrett Miller
Grreshan Ramesh
Hailey Usher
Helen Do
Ian Farrar
Ian O'neill
Jason Allshouse
Jace Aschbrenner
Jarod Ocampo
Jadin Zaccagnino
Jess Corbitt
Josh Beijer
John Bileschi
Jon Ezell
Jonathon Gruener
Josh Gregory
Josh Sweeney
Juliette Goubeaud
Katie Schutt
Kevin Kim
Kelso Norden
Kyra Anderson
Kyle Hashiro
Kyle Pohle
Luke Nicol
Luke Prins
Max Lantz
Maddox Mitchell
Matthew Osborn
Max Palish
Michael Becerra
Michael Gray
Nicholas Gotlib
Nick Olguin
Noah Howell
Oliver White
Peter Arnold
Riley Menke
Sam Biehle
Sammie Duran
Sam Gluskoter
Sarah Pepper
Sean Riddle
Sierra Greeley
Sophie Berry
Sophia Montie
Tim Hellweg
Tiana Vitry
Trent Bjorkman
Travis Mulford
Tyler Brown
Venkata Sanyasi Krishna Vidhan Rallapalli
Vincent Tang
Yuting Wang
Aryan Gandhi
Jean Hertzberg
Shrey Naresh Solanki
