The Three AIR Aquariums By Design Studio Usin-e.

above: Air1 aquarium (top), Air2 (lower right) Air3 (lower left)


The newest AIR 3 Aquarium design (shown above) by Rémi Bouhaniche and Amaury Poudray of Lyon, France design studio Usin-e is the third in their series of modern laboratory glassware fish tanks.

AIR 1 Aquarium:



AIR2 Aquarium:





Each of the AIR series consists of a glass vessel perched atop metal legs. The first two AIR aquariums have horizontally elongated zeppelin-shaped blown glass (blown by Peter Pignat of Pignat glass) bowls perched atop metal legs.


above: Peter Pignat of Pignat scientific glass-blowing creating the AIR1 Aquarium.

The third is a test-tube like shape with a flat bottom and sheared off top, supported on an angle by white metal rods.

AIR3 Aquarium:





The AIR1 and AIR3 aquariums from a 2010 exhibit at La Bergerie, Marseille:


and the AIR2 aquarium at VIVID Gallery, Rotterdam, NL, 2010:



While it's true that these are impossible to clean, have no filter and are not the most fish friendly environments, they are beautiful as studies of material, space and balance.

Materials: Glass, metal
Size: diameter 15cm, 80cm X 25cm
Date: March 2010
Production: AD , Christophe Bailleux
Photos: Laure Mélone

According to the designers:
USIN-e is showing a new generation of Airs aquariums. It was on show for the first time at USIN-e’s exhibition, March 2010, in La Bergerie, Marseille. This aquarium is a glass bubble caught mid-fall by a metal structure. As other Airs models, Air3 was created using the techniques of scientific glassware. Hanging up in the air, Air3 tells us about weight and elevation.

About Usin-e (from their site):

Rémi Bouhaniche and Amaury Poudray are two designers based in Lyon, France. They received their degrees from Saint Etienne Art School , and went on to receive degrees in Industrial Design (BTS Design de produit) - Rémi in Marseille, France, and Amaury in Les Herbiers, France. Both studied abroad for 6 months - Amaury at the Rhode Island School of Design in the United States, and Rémi at the School of Art, Design and Technology in India, Bangalore Srishti. They experiment with materials, welding, cutting, folding, covering, stretching, molding. They are always looking for craftsmen and industies with whom to develop trusting relationships to create new projects.
**French** Nous recherchons les liens qui unissent la matière, la forme et les compétences, L'objet devient un pretexte pour rassembler. La recherche de simplicité nous pousse à travailler en cohérence avec les techniques artisanales et industrielles. Conscients du détail, nous préférons l’action simple, le geste précis et juste. Ce qui avant tout nous intéresse c'est de créer du lien entre des choses qui apparement s'opposent; personnes, techniques, matières. Créer des paradoxes, de la tension et de la légereté, du vide et de la fragilité, à l'image du monde qui nous entoure.


Village des créateurs,
Passage Thiaffait,
19 rue René Leynaud,
69001 Lyon
contact@usin-e.fr

all images courtesy of Usin-e and Amaury Poudray.
Special thanks to DsgnWrld for bringing this to my attention

More Modern Aquariums and Fish Tanks
I have a thing for modern aquariums and fish tanks. I've compiled a shopping list with links to purchase some of the coolest modern fish tanks and aquariums available right here.

Inspired By Diamonds. The Stellar Mirror By Jake Phipps.

Thanks to Core 77, I've been introduced to this eye-catching faceted mirror, the Stellar mirror, by designer Jake Phipps. (note: on the Core 77 blog they called it the Spectrum Mirror, but on his own site, Jake has deemed it the Stellar Mirror).

The wreath like wall mirror takes inspiration from the physical attributes of cut diamonds*. The mirror’s reflective qualities, whilst crisp and pure at its center, radiate out with a ring of 750 individually sized and angled mirrored sections, breaking down the light and the surrounding environment, delivering it to the eye as one sparkling entity.



This optical dispersion means that as the ambiance of the mirror’s environment changes throughout the day, so too does its color and luster, creating an ever changing focal point to a room.



Dimensions: 110cm diameter x 9 cm depth
Weight: 40kg
Limited Edition of 25

The mirror is available to buy directly from the studio.

*In diamonds, cut is the primary determinant of value followed by clarity and colour. Diamonds are meant to sparkle, to break down light into its constituent rainbow colours (dispersion) chop it up into bright little pieces (scintillation) and deliver it to the eye (brilliance). In its rough crystalline form, a diamond will do none of these things, it requires proper fashioning and this is called "cut".

Frédérique Morrel Gives New Life To Old Tapestries And Needlepoint In Her Sculptures.

Vintage tapestries become 'skin' for people, animals, trophy heads and even homewares in the laboriously beautiful work of Frédérique Morrel. A self-proclaimed latex, leather and fur lover, she has given old tapestries new life as integral parts of her sculptures.

Tapestries of all styles; erotic, kitschy and traditional, blend harmoniously and conceptually to add texture and narrative to the artist's free standing and wall mounted sculptures of deer, horses, unicorns, foxes, rabbits, dogs and the human figure.



above: Rembrandt, Bambi and Ma Biche from her Visitors and Passe-Murailles series.

She has three series of these sculptures. The Visitors consist of life sized animals covered in vintage tapestry and needlpoint and accented with real antlers, horns and hooves. Her Passe-Murailles are wall mounted trophy heads and G.Host are life sized human figures.

She starts with fiberglass molds injected with expanding foam, reinforces them with steel rods and hand applies the vintage "found" tapestries to the forms. The results are unusual and compelling pieces of art.

G.Host series

Eva, profile:

Eva, front:

Tony (front and back) and Eva:

Tony:

Tony, detail:


Three views of Diana:


Diana, detail:

Diana, back detail:

Legs:


All the pieces are made by hand in France by Frédérique, whose husband Aaron serves as the brand's artistic director.


above: artist Frederique Morrel and Damien

Frederique, husband Aaron Levin and their three boys:


Their adorable Jack Russells, Maggie and Godard:

All photos by Philippe Cluzeau


Be sure to see Frederique Morrel's Visitors and Passe-Murailles series here.

Ad Agency TBWA Chiat Day Celebrates Creativity With 5353 MUSIC\ART\FEST

If you thought that über cool and award-winning advertising for such clients as Nissan, Gatorade, VISA and Pedigree was the only thing to come out of the cool looking building by architect Clive Wilkinson located on 5353 Grosvenor Avenue, wait until you see what other talents are possessed by those employed at one of Los Angeles' hottest and hippest ad agencies, TBWA/Chiat/Day.




Across the entire agency are painters, photographers, fashion designers, poets, sculptors and musicians who will be sharing their works in the Southern California sunshine to the strains of some of LA's best local bands tomorrow, September 16th from 12-4 pm in the parking lot of the world-famous ad agency.


The featured bands include BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB, DJ JAYANTA, FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS, FOOL’S GOLD, LOCAL NATIVES amongst others.


The myriad of art will include photography, paintings, installations, video art and much more.


Food, too! The Greasy Weiner and Kogi truck will be at the festival from 12-2pm providing delicious food.Yum!

The 5353 MUSIC\ART\FEST is a celebration of the creative culture at the agency and the people who make it.

Learn more about it here.