Star Wars

Posts tagged
with Star Wars

Design

R2-D2 Appears to Sit on a German Hillside Thanks to a University Observatory’s Star Wars-Inspired Makeover

Sci-fi superfan Hubert Zitt has given the Zweibrücken Observatory of the Natural Science Association a pop culture-inspired makeover. The paint job, completed in fall 2018, replicates R2-D2’s signature blue and white markings on the already perfectly droid-shaped building. The observatory has become a destination for Star Wars fans who trek up the hill—sometimes in costume—to pay homage and take a photo with the larger than life R2-D2. Zitt, a sci-fi enthusiast, is known for his writing and lecturing on Star Trek in addition to his 20 year professorship in computer science and engineering at the University of Applied Sciences in Zweibrücken. (via My Modern Met)

Illustration

Imagined Insects Camouflaged as Star Wars Characters by Illustrator Richard Wilkinson

UK-based illustrator Richard Wilkinson created a series of fantastical insects based on the most famous Star Wars characters. It’s easy to imagine these incredibly life-like renderings truly existing as creatures crawling on a planet far away, and each is given a cheeky scientific name with Latin roots that relate to its sci-fi counterpart like Roboduobus Deoduobus for R2D2 or Chaetebarbatus Bonamicii for Chewbacca. Wilkinson has previous experience creating scientifically-minded illustrations for publications like New Scientist and Intelligent Life Magazine.

These first 10 illustrations titled Insects From A Far Away Galaxy are just the first set in a much larger body of work for a planned book, Arthropoda Iconicus Volume I, that will make references to other pop culture characters like Pokemon, Marvel Comics, and Disney. The pieces seen here are now available as limited edition prints, and you can follow more of Wilkinson’s work on Instagram. (via Colossal Submissions)

Design

A Wood Turned Bamboo Death Star by Frank Howarth

In this new timelapse video, woodworker Frank Howarth (previously) demonstrates how he designed and constructed a replica of the Star Wars’ Death Star out of bamboo. The Portland-based designer, who also has a degree in architecture from Harvard, shares much of his behind-the-scenes processes through his wildly popular YouTube channel. I expected to skip through different parts of the video, but Howarth has an uncanny ability to film himself working, it really is worth watching the whole thing straight through. Even the sound design is great.

Art

New ‘8-Bit’ Watercolor Paintings Inspired by Famous Artworks and Pop Culture Icons by Adam Lister

Bar at the Folies Bergere

Adam Lister (previously here and here) recreates famous artworks with watercolor paintings that appear as if they have been pulled directly from a 1980s Atari. The modulated technique makes each image appear futuristic, even if the work is a reimagining of the late 19th century Georges Seurat piece A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.

In addition to producing recreations of famous paintings in this nearly cubist style, Lister also paints portraits of famous pop icons, previous works including Popeye and Darth Vader. This September Lister had a solo exhibition at White Walls in San Francsico titled “Elucidation.” The exhibition featured many of his regular-sized works as well as a few miniature paintings that featured subjects from Monopoly boards to Damien Hirst’s famous tiger shark suspended in formaldehyde (“The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living“).

You can browse his limited edition prints and new releases on his website here.

The Great Wave, image provided by White Walls San Francisco

The School of Athens, image provided by White Walls San Francisco

Olympia after Manet

Lady with an Ermine after da Vinci

La velata after Raphael

bb8, image provided by White Walls San Francisco

Boba Fett and Darth Vader, image provided by White Walls San Francisco

Hirst, image provided by White Walls San Francisco

Monopoly, image provided by White Walls San Francisco

Popeye, image provided by White Walls San Francisco

Art

Star Wars Characters Reimagined as Ancient Greek Statues by French Artist Travis Durden

I’ve never specifically asked myself what Yoda and and Darth Vader might look like if reimagined as classical Greek nudes, but I can’t say I’m disappointed that somebody made this non-dream a reality. Artist Travis Durden took this idea to an artistic level, using digital technology to sculpt five Star Wars figures out of faux-marble. The heads of each of the sculptures are pulled directly from the movie franchise, while the bodies are sourced from statues found within Paris’s Louvre. The new amalgamations display a softer side to the characters, Darth Vader now sporting tendrils of hair that fall from his once menacing mask, and a stormtrooper casually reads from an ancient text.

The artist behind the sculptures chooses to remain hidden, his artist’s name a mash-up of characters from two of his favorite cult films. [I can only guess where his last name comes from.] Durden is interested in also creating mash-ups within his work, opposite worlds converging to create an original composite. His Star Wars sculptures are his newest works, and can be seen in the exhibition “Contre Attaque,” or counter attack, currently at Galerie Sakura in Paris. Prints are available on Galerie Sakura’s website here. (via Designboom)