Design

Section

Design Illustration

Multi-Part Graphics Reveal the Inner Workings of Systems in Vintage-Inspired Designs by Raymond Biesinger

Raymond Biesinger takes complex systems—economics, feline anatomy, computer programming—and breaks them down into visually captivating designs. Using design elements and color palettes inspired by mid-century aesthetics, Biesinger’s finished works combine the arts of illustration and infographics. Many of his designs were original editorial commissions for articles in publications including The New Yorker, GQ, and Fast Company, but the Canadian illustrator now makes these pieces available as archival prints on Etsy. Keep up with Biesinger’s latest projects on Instagram. (via Colossal Submissions)

Art Craft Design

Ceremonial Dragons and Colorful Cactus Gardens Formed from Intricately Worked Ribbon

Birthday presents, apparel decoration, hair-do accessories: this is what comes to mind when most people think of ribbons. But for Japanese duo Baku Maeda and Toru Yoshikawa of Ribbonesia, the ubiquitous material is fodder for multi-part sculptures. Ranging from colorful cactus gardens and floral landscapes to freestanding foxes and ceremonial dragons, Ribbonesia’s creations blur the lines between art and craft. In their artist statement, the duo explains their approach to the unusual material:  “Just as a painter would use hundreds of brush strokes, ribbon forms can also be made from a variety of twists, bends and folds. They become paintings as much as they are sculptures.”

Working in tandem since 2010 as Ribbonesia, Maeda is the artist of the pair, and Yoshikawa the creative director developing the theme and concept. You can explore more of their in-progress and completed projects on Instagram and Facebook.

 

Design Illustration Photography

Urban Tetris by Mariyan Atanasov Imagines Bulgarian Architecture as the Classic Video Game

The urban architecture of Sofia, Bulgaria becomes an oversized Tetris game in a series by Mariyan Atanasov. To create the visual allusion, Atanasov abstracted the Eastern European city’s geometric buildings into minimal images, editing out distractions like phone wires and trees. In each photo sections of architecture seem to float down, ready to slot into the stack in the same mode as the classic 80’s video game created by Soviet Russian software engineer Alexey Pajitnov. Atanasov is based in Paris, Texas and shares his photography and design projects on Behance and Instagram, including many other minimalist architectural studies from around Europe. (via Trendland)

Art Design

100,000 Hand-Arranged Stamps Form Complex Mosaics by Elisabetta Di Maggio

In “Greetings from Venice, Italian artist Elisabetta Di Maggio used thousands of stamps to create colorful mosaics on the floor of the Fondaco dei Tedeschi. Di Maggio created repeating geometric patterns with the varied designs, shapes, and color palettes of each miniature government-commissioned artwork. The paper mosaics were placed below a transparent floating floor, allowing visitors to walk over the artwork, located on the fourth floor of the historic building, which has been repurposed as a contemporary shopping destination.

To create the elaborate repeated patterns, Di Maggio studied St. Mark’s Basilica’s floor and Venetian palazzi and sorted 100,000 stamps by color to prepare the designs. The artist then worked with a team of high school students to arrange the stamps in complex patterns. “Greetings from Venice” was on view in autumn 2018.

Take a behind-the-scenes look at the process for “Greetings from Venice” on Irenebrination’s blog and explore more of Di Maggio’s other projects on her website.

 

Design

Take to the Streets with a Free Font Inspired by Climate Activist Greta Thunberg’s Hand-Painted Protest Signs

A new font, free to all for download and use, is inspired by climate collapse activist Greta Thunberg. “Greta Grotesk” was created by Uno, a new company designing a solution to the disposable beverage cup pandemic. Drawing from the hand-painted protest signs that Thunberg has created for her worldwide efforts to create action on climate collapse, the font is in all capital letters. Above is an excerpt from Thunberg’s powerful speech she recently delivered at the U.N. You can download Greta Grotesk here. (via Kottke)

 

Design

Augmented Reality and Old-Fashioned Woodworking Techniques Forge a Sinuous Sculpture in Tallinn

A slate of new public structures have overtaken the Estonian city of Tallin for the 2019 Tallinn Architecture Biennale. Steampunk, created by SoomeenHahm Design, Igor Pantic, and Fologram, merges forward-thinking technology and old-world woodworking techniques in a sinuous sculptural pavilion.

“Computer aided manufacturing and robotics have given architects unprecedented control over the materialization of their designs, but the nuance and subtlety commonly found in traditional craft practices is absent from the artifacts of robotic production.” the design team told dezeen.

To form the swooping structure, the designers created digital models that were then projected using augmented reality. These projections functioned as guides for the construction team, who used steam-bent hardwood and hand tools to build Steampunk.

Explore more of the Biennale on Instagram and Facebook, and if you enjoy Steampunk, also check out the artful public structures of THEVERYMANY and Matthias Pliessnig’s steam-bent furniture. (via dezeen)

Art Craft Design

Elaborate Geometric Origami by Arseni Kazhamiakin Tessellates Sheets of Colorful Paper

Gomel, Belarus-based origami artist Arseni Kazhamiakin creates transfixing tessellations using colorful sheets of paper. The artist has been creating his own designs since 2013, and notes that he uses everyday paper “of questionable quality.” Each completed work is meticulously documented from above, and some works are illuminated from behind to show the hidden interior layers. Kazhamiakin explains that there is not much of an origami community in Gomel, and he hopes that by connecting with other folders online to build more of a local network. The artist shares his finished work on Flickr and shows more details and in-progress projects on Instagram. (via Colossal Submissions)