Suspended in time.

Peter Schafrick, a still life photographer, presents moments that appear to be frozen in time, through his photographs. The high speed photographs are captured to give the illusion of the object, coated in paint, to be caught mid-way through the air and thus create the powerful effect of everyday objects such as toys and tools being merged with the allure of art.

Can nature be brought back to life?

Although many would shake their heads at the thought of humans 'interfering' with nature, artist Philippe Handford gladly accepted the challenge, this sculpture being the final result. The brackets used to hold together the pieces of tree trunk that have been sliced, are minimal, as Handford has clearly attempted to create an art piece that appears to be integrated into its surroundings through the natural curve of the trunk. 

His aim was to 'evoke a sense of perpetual motion', as if perhaps highlighting the circle of nature through the idea of that which has fallen 'coming back to life' in a natural and organic manner. 

Peace.

 

This large scale peace sign - 11 feet wide and 5 feet high -  is constructed out of 20,000 toy soldiers, emphasising the irony behind nations engaging in war as a supposed method of achieving 'peace'. The sculpture is created in an attempt to develop the perspectives of those viewing it, and aid them in realising the 'bigger picture' behind it; when viewed from afar, the sculpture is a peace sign, however from up close it is apparent that the sign is made using miniature toy soldiers, sending the message that war itself should not be viewed on the surface, but rather it should be examined in order to realise the true motives behind it.

Interview: Jools Johnson

The concept of upcycling has become increasingly popular amongst artists and designers, due to the recent emphasis put on sustainability and recycling of existing products and materials. Jools Johnson is one of many artists who create their pieces from materials taken from old, existing products; his main source being computer parts.

'Pulse of a hundred suns' is a piece that uses parts taken from the inside of a computer in order to create a skyline that is viewed through a slit within the overall piece.

Through an interview with the artist, I had the opportunity to understand the thought processes and sources of inspiration behind his innovative pieces:

What is the usual inspiration behind your work?
My work is my inspiration. I think of the normal art materials such as pencils, charcoal, paint, but there's no rules in art so you should be taken out of your environment. In work, my computer broke down and while trying to fix it I saw unusual bits and thought 'I could use those'.

Did you study anything art or design related in school or university? If so, has that influenced your current work?
Yes, it's amazing how much influence you get from your peers. I did graphics at a-level, then painting, my degree was in 3D, and masters was in conceptual art.

What first gave you the inspiration to upcycle computers parts? And what does the process usually involve?
You'll always find someone doing something similar to you. I guess i've always been conscious of the environment, you'll see really bad upcycled art but with a good meaning; I wanted to make something like a utopia and something disturbing.

Would you give any advice to somebody wanting to create innovative/creative designs?
The best advice I'd give is to think outside the box. Don't follow the rules, don't be limited, think of the most outrageous thing you can and then scale it down rather than trying to start small and build it up.

'A Long Walk Ruined' is made using 12,000

This piece differs from his others as it is made using recycled Pizza Express boxes

 



Artist: Anastassia Elias

Artist Anastassia Elias has created a collection of dioramas made using only toilet paper tubes; these are featured in her book, Rouleaux, which consists of 67 images of a variety of her work completed between 2009-2012.

Artist: Matthew Childers

According to his website, Mattew Childers is "an international award-winning illustrator and cartoonist living in East Tennessee. He works both traditionally and digitally and enjoys employing a multitude of different styles in his works. He also is an accomplished Creative Director in the advertising industry, a lover of bacon, and the future ruler of France." This fun personality permeates through his artwork; the use of bold colours and comic book-esque images giving him a distinctive style, despite perhaps not being innovative amongst the variety of artists with a similar style.



A piece of art going 'inside the mind of' poet and autor Edgar Allen Poe



An illustration for Barter Theatre



Star Wars digital painting



Superman piece for a presentation to DC comics; done using pen/ink and photoshop

Wooden Coffee Tables

Nature has been known to inspire art and design work; from using natural materials, to drawing inspiration from the shapes and designs produced by it. These coffee tables use wood in its natural form, for not just aesthetic purposes, but also environmental.

This table, designed and created by Israeli designer Yoav Avinoam, uses a mixture of resin and sawdust taken from a variety of woods. The recycling of sawdust makes this table eco-friendly as it does not require fresh pices of wood in order to create it. The table won DesignBoom's Intelligent Hand competition, due to its 'excellence in craftmanship'.

This 'Cilindro coffee table' by Rotsen Furniture may not be everybody's cup of tea, but the minimalist table is made from reclaimed cinnamon wood, making it suitable for those wishing to do their part in preserving the environment. Similarly, the table below, also by Rotsen Furniture, is both a simple and eco-friendly design, that is created using wood from fallen trees.