Baroque Violin Lamp
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The aesthetic that inspired my upcycle project was the Baroque aesthetic. Arguably one of the most famous classical aesthetics, Baroque is a famous music and art style that grew popular in Western Europe from 1600 -1750. Baroque has many defining characteristics, often depicting dramatic and tense scenes. Baroque art is commonly described as a mixture…
Opposite of my Upcycle Project: Brutalist Aesthetic
Instead of a brightly colored, bubbly, organically shaped fruit bowl, the opposite of my upcycling project aesthetic would be brutalist and geometric, my fruit bowl would have minimal earth tones, rigid, industrial shapes. This alternate bowl would be grounded in a world of harsh structure and stark minimalism. This alternative fruit bowl would embody Brutalism,…
Ornate Wood Carving
I believe the closest opposite aesthetic for my upcycle project, using the same materials would probably be the aesthetic of Ornate Wood Carving. This type of woodworking bridges all different cultures and woods and has been around for thousands of years. It has only progressed to be more and more ornate as tools have improved…
Opposite Upcycle Aesthetic – Cyberprep
My upcycle project is being made to fit the Old Western aesthetic. This aesthetic highlights dry arid environments, colors like brown and orange, old wooden buildings, and open desert terrain. While I am focused more on the cowboy aspect of the aesthetic for my project, I feel that when looking for the opposing aesthetic to…
The Opposite of Artificial Nature: Pristine Futurism
My Upcycle project embraces the Artificial Nature aesthetic, where discarded electronic components are reimagined as an evolving, biomechanical creature. It merges organic and synthetic elements, creating a scorpion sculpture that feels like it belongs to a digital ecosystem where technology has adapted like nature itself. The rough and uneven surfaces of old circuit boards and…
Opposite Aesthetic of Upcycle Project
For my Upcycle project, I am making a lamp that has the influence of the steampunk aesthetic. I am using materials and parts that are wood, metal and plastic gears, wire, parchment paper, and my old rear wheel bike cassette. I thought these parts really met the steampunk aesthetic since steampunk is overly complicated, metallic,…
Opposite Upcycle Aesthetic: Realism
Realism The opposite of my upcycle project’s aesthetic, which is abstract, would be realism. Realism focuses on imitating life as closely as possible. The realism aesthetic focuses on accurately replicating real-life forms, textures, and environments. It emphasizes detail, authenticity, and naturalism, creating designs that closely resemble objects or scenes from the natural world. A realistic…
Upcycle Project Opposite Aesthetic – Modernism
In my previous blog posts, I have described the Baroque aesthetic associated with my upcycle project as being a very dramatic, and tense aesthetic, depicting scenes often also associated with naturalism and classicism. Baroque is scene as a very elegant and classy aesthetic, and it follows relatively strict rules. During my research into what could…
The Opposite of the Pixel Aesthetic
What is Pixel Art: Pixel art is a visual style that creates images using small, square-shaped pixels, typically arranged in a grid. This aesthetic became popular during the early days of video games due to hardware limitations, with classic titles like Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, and Mega Man defining its early use.…
Opposite to Beauty in Death: Y2K Futurism
My upcycle project is creating a lampshade simulating a strangler fig tree/pattern. In nature, the strangler fig tree steals nutrients from it’s host tree until the host eventually dies. Once it rots away, the aerial roots of the fig remain, displaying a beautiful pattern. This effectively portrays an aesthetic of beauty in death. I believe…
The opposite of the sports bar aesthetic: Upscale cocktail lounge aesthetic
People associate sports bars and the aesthetic with a noisy, casual, high-energy area for people to drink and watch sports. The sports bar aesthetic is widespread across the United States, given the many sports bars scattered across the country. The opposite of this is somewhere that is quiet, formal, and intimate. An aesthetic that pushes…
Opposite Aesthetic: Minimalist Kitchen Space
For my upcycle project, I’m going for a witchcore and rustic aesthetic (which was somewhat forced by my own inability to mold tiny figurines smoothly). As it turns out, everything that I sculpted has some kind of imperfections, and I’ve already accepted that. The opposite of this aesthetic would be simple and clean. It would…
Opposite Upcycle Aesthetic: Cyberpunk Maximalism
Featured image: AI-generated image through chatgpt.com As I have discussed in my previous posts, I am currently creating an Ikea-inspired bedframe to add to my shuttle bus build. For my chosen aesthetic, I wanted to go with minimalism to give the limited space a simple and clean feeling. Additionally, I wanted to implement a natural…
Opposite Upcycle Aesthetic – Industrialism, Consumerism
Since the granola, earthcore, recycling aesthetic is all about recycling materials and respecting nature the opposite aesthetic would be brutalism and consumerism. The earthcore aesthetic is all about incorporating nature into your design and brutalism incorporates concrete, little to no plants and is heavy on industrial engineering. Above you can see some classic images…
Opposite of Earthy Neutrals? Neon Futurism.
For my upcycle project I am making a chalk bag for climbing in the earthy neutrals aesthetic using upcycled fabric. My chalk bag will feature an unconventional magnetic closure. The chalk bag is made in an earthy color palette including light tan, green, and blue. I really like these colors and the earthy neutral aesthetic,…
Opposite Aesthetic: Corporate
My upcycling project is on an Indie aesthetic, which is characterized by individualism and self-expression. Because of this, I believe the corporate aesthetic is its opposite. This aesthetic is largely based on fitting in with a mold, with a distinct lack of variety and expression. (Figure 1): A business suit Corporate outfits are typically suits,…
Seeing vs Feeling: The Divide Between Realism and Abstract
Abstract art, with as broad as it is, can loosely be described as using form, color, and texture to convey emotion and a message from the artist. It can often be interpreted in many ways, affecting each person in a different way and that’s part of the beauty in it. Abstract art shines in its…
Industrial Steampunk
My project is based on the aesthetic of Studio Ghibli. Because Studio Ghibli is an animation film studio, I wanted to find its opposite aesthetic in the animation realm. As I was researching, I thought about the recent show I just watched called “Arcane”. This show offered an artistic lens on the steam/cyberpunk aesthetic (Figures…
The Opposite of Patchwork Aesthetic
While the patchwork aesthetic of my Upcycle Project relies on organic, plant-based shapes and materials, the aesthetic of Industrial Minimalism relies on neatness, geometry, and hard materials like metal, concrete, and brick. Not only is this opposite aesthetic a ‘trendy’ vibe, but it is known for being sleek and sturdy in home spaces. It is…
Brutalist Sculpture: Vision to Reality
My vision for this project has undergone several transformations throughout its development. The initial concept drew inspiration from Mid-Century Modern aesthetics, envisioning a piece that would combine modern epoxy material with natural rock elements to create an illusion of floating, complemented by bold colored accents and suspended threads suggesting motion around the central rock element.…
Looney Tunes Upcycle Progress
My Upcycle Project is coming along nicely. To recap, my plan is to build a little sculpture based on the Looney Tunes aesthetic. This will feature a cardboard box as a base. I have decided to use a shoebox for this because I have many of them that I keep for storage. I will paint…
Upcycle Progress – Futuristic Memphis Aesthetic Fruit Bowl
What excites me most about this design is how it blends futuristic and organic elements. The bowl doesn’t just hold fruit—it becomes an art piece, a sculptural form that feels alive, as if it’s constantly shifting and flowing. The spirals, curves, and bubbly protrusions make it look both playful and surreal, like something plucked from…
Opposite of Upcycle Aesthetic
The aesthetic that I focused on for my upcycle project was the “ski bum” aesthetic. This aesthetic reflects a mindset where skiing is the number one priority. This mindset is accompanied by bright colors, fun fabrics, second-hand clothing, and a care-free attitude. There are a few aesthetics that come to mind when I think of…
1960’s Office Aesthetic
What is the opposite of a Parisian Jazz Aesthetic? Is it Mongolian rap, or maybe Canadian heavy metal? Im not exactly sure, but I know that Parisian Jazz is often characterized by its bright, vibrant colors with a flowery, light aesthetic that is not afraid of being original. Figure 1: My Parisian Jazz Aesthetic lamp…
Post 3: Upcycling Progress
This past week, I’ve gotten a pretty good start on my western saloon style cabinet dartboard. Last tuesday, I went to Recourse Central – a salvage yard with everything from cabinets, to old fireplaces, to refrigerators. Here I looked for a cheap cabinet which could fit my 18″ diameter dartboard comfortably. I wanted my cabinet…
The Dive in to Neuroaesthetic Design
The deep dive into neuroaesthetics has been quite an adventure; I honestly found myself in the land of analysis paralysis with all the opportunity for creativity and demonstration of this unique aesthetic. I started reading the book Your Brain on Art as I started this class, and that has been extremely formative in my study…
Stuffed Animal Recreations: Upcycle Progress
My upcycling project follows the aesthetic of nostalgia/childhood nostalgia. I will be making a small series of stuffed animals out of recycled and found materials that will be recreations of the actual childhood stuffed animals that my friends and I cherished growing up. I would like to make 3 ideally- 1 out of leather scraps,…
Headcover progress
Thank you for tuning back in. My concept drawing is above and gave me a lot of insight to what I need to look for when designing this project. It will definitely be difficult to make it exactly how I drew it, but I am interested to see if I can get the colors and…
Decopunk Assassin’s Teapot, Update 1
With twelve days remaining until our due date, the creation of my assassin’s teapot is progressing smoothly and steadily. While there have been some unexpected hurdles, such as sourcing materials, I have been able to adapt and move forward without major disruptions. As previously mentioned, I will be using laser-cut acrylic to parse out the…
Upcycle Project Progress
I am a day late in posting this because I was taking the FE exam yesterday so that took a bit of precedent. So far since last post I have gone deeper into the design of the wall hanger, including sketching more and getting some CAD drawn up. You can see in the featured image…
Upcycling a Sleeping Bag into a Lightweight Ski Touring Jacket Update
For my upcycling project, I am transforming a sleeping bag into a lightweight ski touring jacket. I purchased an EcoPro LW210 lightweight warm-weather sleeping bag from Goodwill to maximize fabric yield at a low cost. I have already deconstructed the bag by removing the seams, separating it into two large fabric sheets—gray on one side…
Upcycled Bicycle Stool
I am currently making progress on my upcycle project, a stool made from vintage bicycle parts. I’ve acquired a vintage bicycle seat from an old tandem bicycle. It is made with tanned leather and metal springs, and currently, it’s fixed to a seat post of 1-inch diameter, which fortunately is a standardized size from…
Pixel Art 3D Print Upcycling: Progress Update on Grid Mapping & Material Gathering
I haven’t started physically building or shredding 3D prints yet, but I hope to get to that this coming weekend. As of now, I’ve gathered all the materials I should need: a picture frame, a clear acrylic sheet, and all my 3D print scraps. Soon, I’ll start sorting the prints by color to determine what…
Ghibli Lamp Update
My project is about upcycling a lamp shade to the aesthetic of Studio Ghibli. So far, I’ve collected the material of the light source and the lamp shade. I had trouble finding a lamp shade that has wired structure. I originally wanted to implement a beaded lamp structure (Figure 1). Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to…
Upcycle Progress/Process: A Witch’s Cabin
My upcycling project is “A Witch’s Cabin” diorama. After settling on a concept and drawing plans, I grabbed the cardboard box that I’d be using for the base and sketched the design inside. Initially, I wanted to turn the box on its side to decrease work, but the proportions were off. The ceiling would’ve been…
Violin Lamp Progress Update
My upcycle project is currently still in the beginning stages, but I have collected several necessary materials. The first, and most important material, is the violin itself. I was lucky enough to have been given the violin for free, but it has a few issues that I will need to fix. The main issue is…
Upcycling Progress: LeBron James Hennessy Lamp
I did not start the physical building this past week, but I did most of the preliminary work on the project. I measured the dimensions of the Hennessy bottle using calipers to ensure that I got an accurate fitting on my base and the lamp conversion. Based on the measurements, I determined that I would…
Artificial Nature Upcycle Project Progress Update
With the Artificial Nature aesthetic guiding my upcycle project, I’ve made solid progress in gathering materials and refining my fabrication plan. My goal remains to create a scorpion sculpture using dismantled circuit components, blending organic form with technological remnants to emphasize the idea of a synthetic ecosystem evolving from discarded electronics. While I haven’t started…
Upcycling Progress – License Plate Frame
My project is a wooden frame built to display old license plates that I previously mounted to my walls using sticky putty. The aesthetic that I’m trying to achieve is Rustic Americana, basically just trying to emulate western American culture while combining it with the use of old, weathered looking wood to try and evoke…
French Gothic Stained Glass Light Fixture: Update
Over the past week, I have begun collecting my materials as well as conceptualizing how my piece will fit together. For my project, I hope to upcycle old broken glass into a light fixture that mimics the effects of the stained glass windows often seen in churches. When I first began ideating on this project,…
Upcycle Project Process
My Upcycle Project is a lamp that takes inspiration from the Steampunk Aesthetic. This has parts like pipes, cogs, metal wire, etc. I have collected all the material I believe I will need in this project. I have a bunch of small plastic gears that are all bronze, gold, and silver to match the color…
Upcycle Project Progress – Soda Can Planters
For my upcycle project I decided to make small planters out of empty soda cans. These planters will be designed with the earthcore/granola aesthetic in mind you can read my previous post if you want to see more detail on that specific aesthetic. Currently I am in the material collection stage of my project. I…
Recycled Aluminum Spoon Post 3
My project is an upcycled aluminum camping spoon. So far I have sourced the material and started machining it. Progress is slow but steady. I believe I am on track to finish it before the deadline. First, I milled the “slot” for the scoopy part of the spoon. This was the most difficult part so…
Quilled Weather “Tile”
The Idea As a senior in college I have an entire drawer full of old assignments that I don’t have much purpose for. Both in celebration of finishing my engineering degree and desperation to clean out the cabinet I have decided to make a rolled paper craft using these old school papers in the style…
Upcycled Project: Light Academia Coffee Tray
For my upcycled project, I will create a food and coffee tray for use in a coffee shop, repurposing old books. This design aligns with the light academia aesthetic, which is often reflected in coffee shop decor. Idea Generation Principle of Design – Keep it simple yet fun. First Idea Coming up with an idea…
Patchwork Teddy Bear
For the upcycle project, I plan to create a classic teddy bear using old fabric scraps from clothes and incorporating mending and patchwork techniques such as the Japanese mending style of sashiko. As an artist who makes toys and plushies and has a great fondness for stuffed animals, I often make silhouettes more modern, with…
Golf club headcover
As I was looking around for inspiration for my upcycle project my attention focused on my golfclubs in the corner of my room. Not only did I want to make something creative but also something I could use and not just put in a corner for the rest of my life. That being said, I…
Upcycling Project – Post 2
The fruit bowl I want to create for my upcycling project is a blend of organic fluidity and playful modernity, incorporating unique curves, spirals, bubbly shapes, and wavy shapes to create a design that feels natural and futuristic. Inspired by multiple aesthetics like Blobjects, Memphis design, and Retro-Futurisim, the bowl will have a flowing sculptural…
Transforming 3D Print Scraps into Pixel Art
My project transforms leftover 3D print scraps into colorful pixel art portraits. Over the past two years, I have been storing my PLA scraps in bins, waiting for the right opportunity to upcycle them. 3D printing often produces extra pieces, failed prints, and support structures that usually go to waste. Instead of discarding them,…
Beauty in Death: Strangler Fig Lampshade Concept
[2] Strangler Fig Growth Animation A strangler fig is a parasitic plant typically found in a dense, tropical environment. It evolved to adapt to the nutrient competitive environment by entrapping its victim with it’s aerial roots, limiting growth and stealing it’s nutrients. As the host tree dies and begins to rot away, the aerial roots…
Artificial Nature: Bringing Discarded Circuitry Alive
For my Upcycle project, I have chosen the Artificial Nature aesthetic, an aesthetic which fuses organic lifeforms with mechanical and electronic elements and creates a vision of nature that has evolved through technology. This aesthetic blurs the line between the biological and the synthetic to present a fantasy in which machines take on the form…
Upcycled Bed Frame – Rustic Minimalist Aesthetic
Featured Photo: IKEA TARVA Bed (TARVA bed frame, pine/Luröy, Queen – IKEA) For my upcycling project, I will be creating a custom bed frame for the inside of a shuttle bus that I have been building out. I will be upcycling bed slats and beam components from an IKEA bed and turning them into a…
“Stained Glass” Lamp
For my Upcycling Project, I am going to be making a “stained glass” lamp out of recycled acrylic scraps. Stained glass window at the Notre-Dame de Paris Stained glass has been around for thousands of years, starting with the Egyptians and Ancient Romans. It gained popularity in Europe around the 12th century with some of…
Upcycling Concept: A Witch’s Cabin
For my upcycle project, I’m making a diorama of a part of a witch’s home. Originally, I wanted to upcycle an old spice bottle for the project. I was looking into aesthetics that could use that bottle and found witchcore. My initial plan was to turn the bottle into a potion bottle, but that felt…
Upcycle Project – Baroque Introduction
Arguably one of the most famous classical aesthetics, Baroque is a famous music and art style that grew popular in Western Europe from 1600 -1750. Baroque has many defining characteristics, often depicting dramatic and tense scenes. Baroque art is commonly described as a mixture of classicism and naturalism. Annibale Carracci and Caravaggio are among some…
Upcycle Project: “Ski Bum” Hat
“Ski Bum” is a term that typically evokes a specific image in people’s heads. A caricature of someone who makes skiing their number one priority, sometimes over jobs, homes, or clothes. “Ski bums” are known for being resourceful and making ends meet in order to spend as much time on the slopes. The aesthetic around…
Recycled Paper Mosaic: The Great Wave
For my upcycling project I decided to go with a mosaic aesthetic and replicate ‘The Great Wave Off Kanagawa’ , a Japanese inspired woodblock print. I chose this aesthetic because I think it would fit well with the materials I will be using which are paper, cardboard, glue, and acrylic paint. I like how…
Upcycling Project – Frutiger Aero
For my upcycling project, I wanted to attempt to make something stylish and functional for my desk that matches the Frutiger Aero aesthetic. It is one of my favorite aesthetics that has come out of the 21st century, and I actively follow several people online who create or collect items related to Frutiger Aero. This…
The Sports Bar Aesthetic: An Upcycled Bottle of Lebron James Hennessy
My upcycling project repurposes an old bottle of special edition LeBron James Hennessy to create a table lamp that follows a sports bar/athletic aesthetic. This project will be an exciting endeavor that creates a one-of-a-kind piece of functional decoration for my bedroom. The sports bar aesthetic is commonly associated with local bars, which have…
Upcycling 3D Printer Scraps
For this assignment, I would like to upcycle 3D printer scraps. In the 3D printing hobby, prints don’t always come out perfectly. Many objects fail during printing, resulting in an excess amount of scrap. Additionally, I often encounter excess filament being pushed out of the nozzle when loading new filament. To prevent clogging, I have…
Upcycling aesthetic: French Gothic Stained Glass
For my upcycling project I decided to follow the aesthetic of Gothic Stained glass. Often seen in cathedrals and churches, these fixtures can be used to fill viewers with any sort of emotion. These stained glass windows are characterized by their use of vibrant colors (usually blues, reds, and greens), and their complex designs. While…
Upcycled Fantasy Helmet
For my upcycle project I am taking inspiration from this leather helmet I found last December at an art market. It was being sold by a local leather artisan. I unfortunately lost his business card, so I can’t cite him accurately, but I did take this picture. The aesthetic is “Medieval Fantasy” along the lines…
Upcycled Mirror Project
My upcycle project is a set of powered vehicle fender mirrors, designed with inspiration from the sleek, classic aesthetics of the 1960s and 1970s. These decades were known for their distinct automotive styling, where form and function blended seamlessly into striking designs. I want to capture that same essence while integrating modern functionality through powered…
Suspended in Mid-Century
Mid-century modern design is defined by clean lines, organic forms, and an innovative approach to materials. Rooted in the post-war optimism of the 1950s and ’60s, this aesthetic thrives on the interplay between natural and industrial elements. My piece—a stone suspended in a web of delicate threads encased in translucent epoxy—embodies stylized lines and organic…
Hyperbolic Distortion: Upcycled Paper Beehive
Aesthetic For my upcycled artifact project, I am drawing inspiration from my Aesthetic Exploration on Non-Euclidean Art, which challenges conventional rectangular geometry by distorting space into surreal, otherworldly perspectives. This exploration of warped and unconventional forms will be seamlessly integrated with Bee-core, a nature-inspired AI generated Honeycomb with Negative Curvature [1]sub-aesthetic that celebrates bees, honey,…
Upcycle Project: Looney Tunes Backgrounds
Looney Tunes Aesthetic Project I’ve always admired the aesthetic of the backgrounds that take up a lot of the space of Looney Tunes cartoons. There actually used to be an Instagram account dedicated to showcasing these backgrounds, but I believe it got taken down due to copyright issues. This takedown was probably justified, but it…
Retro Futurism
What is Retro-Futurism? First coined in the 1960s, this aesthetic is best described as “a vision of the future from the past.” It is characterized by a mix of futuristic technology and old-fashioned styles. Humanity has always been intrigued by the idea of the future, and what the world could be like given the technology…
Ghiblicore Upcycled Lamp Shade
Through my research of Studio Ghibli, I really enjoyed the overall colors, animations, and aesthetic of ghiblicore. I have an artistic vision and approach to this aesthetic and I want to utilize as much of my ideas for this upcycling project. I plan for my upcycling project to be upcycling a lamp shade. I have…
Natured inspired pencil holder made out of recycled PLA
What is your Upcycling project? For my upcycling project I will being using recycled PLA from the ITLL to make a nature inspired aesthetic pencil holder. I was recently doing research on wood-based PLA and thought this would be really interesting to do. What is the aesthetic and why? The aesthetic is nature.…
Camping Spoon Upcycling Project
For my upcycling project, I have decided to machine a “camping spoon” from a small block of aluminum. I sourced the aluminum bar from the scrap shelves in the ITLL machine shop. I enjoyed this part of the process because I believe that it is often easier to think creatively when you are constrained. I…
