The Lovefish Tank by Dean Zeus Coleman (and How It Was Made).

Artist Dean 'Zeus' Coleman likes to create unusual fish tanks* as well as compelling 3D Graffiti sculptures and other wonderful fine art. His latest is the Lovefish, a tank made of heated and curved glass pieces that literally spell out the word LOVE.

The Echappée Aquarium by Sébastien Cordoleani and Vincent Breed

This structure was designed by Sébastien Cordoleani and built by glass artist and craftsman Vincent Breed, to invite fish to “take a breather,” extending the limitations of the usual tank or aquarium.



above two photos © Erick Saillet

The Echappée (or Extension) was created for the show 15 Designers, 15 Artisans held in Saint-Etienne in December 2010. Each pair had about 2 months to meet up, think, design and make the pieces, with only a dimension constraint of 60 x 60 x 60 cm.

above: The aquarium at the

The purpose of this project, initiated by Emilie Colin Garros, Philippine Lemaire and David des Moutis in summer 2010, was to promote a mode of creation based on the proximity and to reflect the possibility of innovation and creation in a framework where the discussion and the transmission of technical and practical knowledge are possible. It has subsequently traveled including a 2011 exhibition at the French boutique Merci during Designer's Days.




above: The aquarium at the Merci Boutique exhibit.

It is made up of a basin from which a water pipe rises into space, beyond the usual physical limits of an aquarium. By overflowing it offers new horizons to the fish and those who contemplate them. The means to achieve this being simply the application of the physical phenomena of surface tension. The bubble is the central element, a technical challenge for the glass-blower who, by blowing out and sucking in air, will give it the appearance of flowing water.

Echappée (Extension) 2005-2010
Prototype
Dimensions : basin : L 60, W 40, H 11 cm / extension : L 40, W 30 x H 40 cm
Material : glass

images courtesy of Sébastien Cordoleani , Domus, and Design Parade – villa Noailles,

Suspended Glass Display Bowls From Mono Can Hold Live Fish or Fruit.

Mono Pendants in Duo, Trio or Quartet offer a unique way to display living things, be them goldfish or succulents. The suspended displays are made in Germany of stainless steel and glass and come in three variations.


above: close up of stainless steel hanging cords and shelf with glass bowl insert bowl

Fill the glass bowls with colorful stones, colored water, sweets, floating candles, cactuses, beta fish or small plants. Or use the glass containers to store of fruit, vegetables or herbs in the kitchen.



The hanging Mono pendants are available in the "trio" with 3 glass inserts (64 centimetres wide), the "duo" with 2 glass inserts (40 centimetres), as or the "quartet" with 4 glass inserts (99 centimeres).





Designed by Mono of Germany and available either directly from them here or you can purchase them here at Connox

Old Pulteney 40 Year Old Unveiled In Special Hand Blown and Sterling Silver Bottle With Stone Closure and Blue Lacquered Box.

Old Pulteney Single Malt Scotch Whisky has unveiled Old Pulteney 40 Year Old, the oldest official bottling in its line of single malts.

Angel Falls Chandelier. Glass Figures Lit With Halogen Spotlights In 3 Sizes By Nigel Coates.

In the Angel Falls Chandelier, glass angels lit by halogen light are falling from heaven. Part sculpture, part fixture, the chandelier crosses the boundaries of formal design into decorative arts and is avaliable in three different sizes.

Nigel Coates, well known for his unorthodox approach to design, has created an engaging, unique light. Customizable groups of hand made crystal (24% lead) “angels” are illuminated by halogen lamps.

What caused these angels to fall from the heavens? it’s up to the viewers to decide, either way, angel falls is sure to garner attention, and generate conversation, in any setting.

materials: Hand-formed glass crystal with stainless steel ceiling rose and halogen spotlights.



dimensions and prices:

Q12 light: dia. 21.6” x 74.8" max height - 12 angels $4,760.00

Q11 light: dia. 21.6” x 74.8" max height - 18 angels $6,163.00

Q10 light: dia. 21.6” x 74.8" max height - 24 angels $7,523.00

Buy it here at Unica Home

Two Beautiful Bottles and Two Short Films For Bottega Veneta's First Fragrance Launch.

Italian brand Bottega Veneta, long known for their stylish and beautifully crafted leather goods, has launched their first women's fragrance with films by Bruce Weber and Christian Weber and with two different but equally beautiful bottle designs; one for the Murano Parfum and the other for the eau de parfum.




The Films:


Captured by Bruce Weber under the artistic direction of Bottega Veneta's Creative Director, Tomas Maier, the first film for the scent features Nine d'Urso, the muse of the fragrance (and Natalie Portman doppelganger):



the print advertisement:


The second short film created for the launch of the brand's new women's fragrance, was made in collaboration with the photographer and director Christian Weber (also under the artistic direction of Tomas Maier and no relation to Bruce Weber).



This film, The Scent (shown below), is a visual journey which tells the story of the fragrance:


The Eau de Parfum:
Bottega Veneta, the eau de parfum, evokes the suppleness and sensuality of the house’s renowned leather goods. The fragrance, a leathery floral chypre, marries the olfactory language of the Venetian countryside—fresh meadows, mown hay, flowers, earth, and wood—with the gentle richness of leather in a creation crafted with the meticulousness of a master artisan.

The Eau de Parfum Bottle:


The Bottega Veneta bottles combine soft, rounded curves and powerful shapes, a smooth outside and an intrecciato texture on the bottom (reminiscent of their well-known leather weave):


The colors on the eau de parfum bottle are signature Bottega Veneta: a brunito cap and collar, an ebano logo and a skin colored leather ribbon clipped with a brunito butterfly:


The bottle itself, inspired by Venetian glasswork and the traditional Italian carafe, designed with an eye for timeless lines and resonant juxtapositions, is in every way a vessel of harmonious simplicity and perfectly balanced contradictions.

The Murano Parfum:
Composed by renowned master perfumer Michel Almairac, the Bottega Veneta fragrance reveals its signature character from the start. The structure of the fragrance is unique, a fine mesh of extraordinary raw materials whose individual scents are woven together to create a supple and harmonious whole.

The Murano Parfum Bottle:



The Murano bottle is a particularly pure expression of the quality and craftsmanship of Bottega Veneta. The flacon, designed by Creative Director Tomas Maier as a vessel for the parfum, is an object of timeless sophistication and contemporary functionality. The bottle is made of exceptionally fine glass hand-blown by artisans of one of the leading glassworks on the island of Murano.

A full line of scented products is now available, including perfumed shower gel and body cream:


Bottega Veneta

Unusual Blown Glass Fish Bowls By Roger Arquer.

This project presents fifteen different pieces that explore variations of the iconic image of a fishbowl. Each piece examines a topic or suggests a solution to a different issue, as human qualities are being attributed to a fish.





Thoughtful and yet playful, the hand blown glass FishBowls relate with Birdland and MouseTraps, two previous projects by Roger Arquer that also explore variations.

Under Candlelight tells us about candlelight floating on water for a romantic evening:


XS or XL tells us about relationships between big and small fish living together:



Dear Neighbor tells us about the delicate relationships we have with our close neighbors:


Pure Life tells us about purifying the water directly when refilling the bowl:



Chill Out / Warm Up tells us about how we can control water temperature adding hot water or ice in the small receptacle:


Russian Dolls tell us about how big the fish wants to grow. If it stays in the small bowl, the fish will keep small. If it goes to the big, it will grow:



Bottle Vase tells us about how we use objects for another purposes other than their original function:


Private Matters tells us about privacy for the fish:



Hanging From a String tells us about playfulness in an apparently threatening situation:


Do Not Piss Me Off tells us about the power to decide between the life and death of the fish:


Above Water tells us about sharing the water between the fish bowl and the plant:


Wishing Well tells us about cultural traditions related to throwing coins on wells or fountains:



About The Artist:

Roger Arquer was born in Barcelona, Spain in 1975. Graduated in Design at ESDI, Barcelona (1994-1998). A year after his graduation, he moved to New York City (1999-2003) to work as industrial designer. After New York, he moved to London to attend an MA in Design Products at the Royal College of Art (2003-2005). During the summer break in RCA he worked as designer in Zurich (Switzerland). He set up his own design practice in London after RCA.

Since he was student he has received design awards, such as Opus Design Award (Japan), Coram Design (Netherlands), Adi-Fad (Barcelona), RCA Society/Thames Hudson Book Prize (London), among others.

He also has been exhibiting his work: Design Mart Design Museum (2005-6), British Council Design Exhibition (Milan 2005), aRChAeology at Royal College of Art (London 2005), or Park and Products at Serpentine Gallery (London 2004), On/Off Design Experience (Seoul 2005), among others.

all text and images courtesy of the artist.
Roger Arquer



In a funny little coinkidink, today's Google Doodle also takes place underwater where the fishies live, be sure to check out the post on the interactive Jules Verne homage here.