Artist Dimitri Vangrunderbeek of Brussels has collaborated with D&ALab to produce a cabinet scattered with folded out people, exhibited at Object Rotterdam earlier this month.
The cabinet is made from thin sheets of steel which have the silhouettes of men cutout and folded back, casting miniature-people shadows over the top and front surfaces.
Here is some more information from D&ALab:
Dimitri Vangrunderbeek conceived a cupboard in collaboration with D&ALab. The starting idea comes from his moving figurines, cut out of paper, which are folded on the top to the piece of furniture’s feet (1991).
The nice pattern, based on twelve figurines taken from a Muybridge’s photographs sequence, gives us an animated image thanks to the figurines which are set out in various directions and which create a moving effect using their shaping and the variation of their shadow.
To produce this work, D&ALab provided the thin steel sheets and brought a special technique in order to cut down these little shapes from the thin steel sleeves.
February 22nd, 2010 at 3:11 pm
Fantastic, reminds me of a South African artist called Marco Cianfanelli. (http://the-artists.org/artist/Marco-Cianfanelli)
February 22nd, 2010 at 3:12 pm
it’s interesting when u take a close look at it! these thin sheets of steel r quite interesting! but i can’t find any relation between them and the cabinet :S
February 22nd, 2010 at 4:14 pm
Nice work Dimi! Poetic and technical…
February 22nd, 2010 at 11:41 pm
i like it!
February 23rd, 2010 at 1:44 am
I snagged my sweater on it just looking at it!
February 23rd, 2010 at 7:43 am
Fantastic….פשוט נהדר!
February 23rd, 2010 at 9:12 am
It’s so smart! Brilliant!
February 23rd, 2010 at 9:32 am
I love the shadows.
February 23rd, 2010 at 12:33 pm
very interesting!!!! i like the prespective!!!
February 23rd, 2010 at 12:58 pm
Great work. Who cares about function with this kind of poetic beauty…
February 23rd, 2010 at 5:44 pm
love it but my dog would have those off in 2 minutes
February 24th, 2010 at 12:42 am
@ Kristopher Adams re “Who cares about function with this kind of poetic beauty…” — good call usually, although in this case, we’re talking about a cabinet, a piece of furniture meant to be utilized. Perhaps as a wall hanging?
February 24th, 2010 at 10:50 pm
@Richard Rothstein
‘“Who cares about function with this kind of poetic beauty…” — good call usually’
are you out of your mind!!!!!!!? a good call usually? this is just attitude is just disgusting. is this mentality still alive and breathing? i am really shocked.
February 25th, 2010 at 11:25 pm
@ cv
Lighten up please…
This object still functions as a cabinet doesn’t it? I really don’t think that because someone sees some beauty and attractive difference in the decorative elements to this design we are regressing backwards in our approach to design.
I do believe the best design is silent, something almost forgotten, but I also find delight in something that is visually exciting and intriguing.
In future, don’t be so shocked by this.
February 26th, 2010 at 5:41 pm
@cv, Yes, function and form are interwined; however, all art is subjective . . . after all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Even though I agreed with Krisopher’s statement “the best design is silent”), it doesn’t make that the only valid interpretation.
When beauty trumps practicality, what’s the harm in using the object (whatever it might be) as a piece of art? Beauty in life is very much underrated, and I’ll take it wherever I can get it.
March 23rd, 2010 at 12:24 pm
So i’ve heard Richard…
Watch out though, the Police come over if you just start ‘taking beauty’ willy nilly…