Colossal | A blog about art and visual ingenuity.

My wife saw this and said “Oooh I want to learn how to embroider”

Another great piece by textile artist/all-around crafty person Chawne (previously). More of her work here.

Kite Hill

Kite Hill sky outdoors kids Chicago

Shot by Paul Octavious (previously) at the Kids & Kites Festival at Montrose Harbor. Fun fact: I was out and about with Colossal Junior on this day, though it doesn’t look like we made a cameo. This is about four blocks from headquarters. It always amazes me how beautiful Paul makes our neighborhood look, or perhaps sometimes I just fail to see the beauty in it, though this was indeed a glorious day.

By Christopher on May 10, 2011 • Chicago kids outdoors sky

Take a sip from the original coke bottle

Take a sip from the original coke bottle packaging history food

Let’s turn back the clock a bit. It’s a hot day in 1886 and you’re sitting on the back porch of your great-great-great grandfather’s homestead as he talks about how some fellas up in New York are erecting a huge statue of a lady called the Statue of Liberty and then trails off into a long-winded diatribe about Grover Clevland’s economic policies. Suddenly the screen door slams and your great-great-great grandmother emerges from the kitchen holding two sweaty glass bottles of dark brown liquid fresh from the ice box labeled as John Pemberton’s Coca-Cola. Refreshing. Now you can re-live these nostalgic days of over a century ago with a 125th anniverary bottle of Coca-Cola available at Selfridges for a limited time. (via svpply)

By Christopher on May 10, 2011 • food history packaging

Battleship Ice Cube Tray

Battleship Ice Cube Tray home games boats

Designed by Jan Habraken for Kikkerland (of pig doormat fame) this is an ice cube tray that looks like battleship. Available here for a mere $11. That is all. (via coudal)

By Christopher on May 10, 2011 • boats games home

An 840-barrel paintball machine that shoots art

An 840 barrel paintball machine that shoots art street art painting paintball advertising

To its detriment this ad for V Energy Drink is a bit overproduced, however it stars a massive art-making paintball machine that can be driven up to any wall and fired to make a drippy stencil-like painting. Color me impressed. (via kastormag)

Update: James Théophane just pointed out that this same feat was accomplished back in 2008 by the Mythbusters duo to paint a gargantuan Mona Lisa. Totally missed it. Watch it here.

By Christopher on May 10, 2011 • advertising paintball painting street art

Photocopied Hand Typography

Photocopied Hand Typography xerox typography body

Handschrift is an experimental typeface by designer José Ernesto Rodriguez out of Berlin who created each letterform with a single photocopy of his hands. (via typegoodness)

By Christopher on May 9, 2011 • body typography xerox

Head sculpture made from intricately cut street maps

(click for details)

New to me, artist Nikki Rosato creates these incredibly delicate busts using the mesh from cut-out street maps. Check out her portfolio for additional map cuttings. (via illusion)

By Christopher on May 9, 2011 • faces maps paper sculpture

Aquatic Origami

Aquatic Origami water paper origami

Don’t let the rather simple geometric images above fool you, watch the video. Using small pieces of paper (just 2-3cm wide) artist Etienne Cliquet has created delicately folded origami pieces that once placed in water begin to bloom, the result of capillary action as the paper absorbs water. Beautiful. (via reddit)