Author: Kbaumlier

Kristen Baumlier’s work spans the full spectrum of interdisciplinary media, including performance, interactive installation, video and audio works.
Bird in Hand: Shadow Hand Lights by J.P Meulendiks

Bird in Hand: Shadow Hand Lights by J.P Meulendiks

Posted on by Kbaumlier

Taking the classic hand shadow of a bird to new heights, designer J.P. Meulendiks has created a large pendant light made of a series of hands that cast shadows on the walls that include the classic hand shadow of birds.

The piece is called Bird in Hand, and it is made of a material called ECOLOTEK, which is a durable, fully compostable material made of natural hemp fibers and a binder.

When the light is turned on, a series of bird shadows are cast around the room, making an abstract visual of a flock of birds.

Meulendiks designs furniture ,lightning, and other interior products.  In 2010 he started to focus on ecologic design and sustainability and developed the ECOLOTEK material, and created his new label called PLANKTON.

He writes on his website, “I like to describe my work as: fresh, soulful, minimal, with a slice of humor… I try to put a little poetry  and soul into a object. The idea usually defines the design of the product.”

Image Source:
http://www.planktonstation.nl/

 

Links:

http://www.planktonstation.nl/

 

Backbrat: A Portable Bicycle Grill for Bike Excursions

Backbrat: A Portable Bicycle Grill for Bike Excursions

Posted on by Kbaumlier

Today in Germnay the bratwurst is still the typical German fast-food.  (maybe tied with the Doner Kabab)  Many brats are named after their geographical origin, and various areas have their own brats.

Mahtias Hintermann has designed a portable grill that can be attached to a bike, making a compact and efficient way to bring grilling to any outside location.

The grill is designed with compartments that are integrated into one unit.  In the grill is the

grill, an area for coal, an area for the grill tong, a boiling compartment, and the lid is also a cutting board.  The size of the grill is designed to hold around 4 average brats.  To use the grill, you boil them for 15 minutes, then grill for 15-20 minutes.

Hintermann has lots of research on his website to support the design, and he states that there are 500,000  commuting bikes in Germany.  He also says that Germans eat 5.9 pounds of bratwurst per year.

The grill has gotten lots of press lately, and is available not just in Germay, but also in other countries.  You can see more designs and learn where get on Hintermann’s website.  If you like brats, why not bring them along so you can cook them on the go?

Image Source:

http://www.mathiashintermann.com

 

Links:

http://www.mathiashintermann.com

 

Love With Food: Eat Treats and Donate a Meal to a Hungry Child

Love With Food: Eat Treats and Donate a Meal to a Hungry Child

Posted on by Kbaumlier

Recently there have been lots of businesses popping up that are linking consumer purchasing to making a donation when purchasing something.

Love For Food is taking on the prevalent issue of hunger with a monthly membership of gourmet and nutritional products.  Each month, The Love with Food Group puts together boxes of gourmet treats that you can buy, and proceeds from the purchase go to donate a meal to a hungry child.

To sign up, you donate $10 a month and get 8 or more gourmet foods that might include tea, olive oil, cookies, jelly, and other specialty foods.  For each box you get – a meal is donated to a hungry child in the U.S.

From what I can see from pictures, the food in the box looks like items that would cost at least $5 a piece –  so it is a deal for the purchaser and you also can help a child who is hungry.

To date, there have been 50,220 meals donated.  I don’t eat a lot of specialty prepared foods – but I know of people that would love getting this box of food and also knowing that they are helping feed a child.  You can check out more about Love For Food on their website, and also see more pictures of the food at lovewithfood.com.

Image Source:
lovewithfood.com

Links:

lovewithfood.com

Jimmy Kuenhle – Inflatable Wonderland Labyrinth of Joy

Jimmy Kuenhle – Inflatable Wonderland Labyrinth of Joy

Posted on by Kbaumlier

I recently was able to check out Jimmy Kuehnle’s piece, Inflatable Wonderland Labyrinth of Joy at the Sculpture Center in Cleveland, OH.  Jimmy is an artist known for making inflatable wearable forms that he wears in public spaces, and I was interested to see what inflatable setup he had created for the Sculpture Center show.

When you find the space, which is in the Euclid Avenue Gallery, you are greeted by a sign that has both a warnings and welcome tone.  “Beware of claustrophia.  Watch your step.  No horseplay.  This product was made in a factory containing nylon.  Have a great time.”  I read this as “Have fun but not too much.  This might be a tight and difficult space to get through.  If you have a problem with nylon, do not enter.  But maybe you should try it.”

Past the sign, the space is completely filled with an inflatable brightly colored “bouncy house” style structure that is made of what looks like puffy marshmallow cube shapes.  You hear the loud noise of a blower, and if you dare – you can enter into a single crack between two of the cubes, to enter the work.

I pushed my way in, and found myself surrounded by color, the sound of a blower, and fabric that was quite some work to move to get through. As I continued to push my way through yellow, blue, and pink structures I became focused on finding the walls, and getting to the other side.  The space was a bit tight at times, and the structure is not polite to let you by – you have to push.

I got through the piece, and reached the front of the gallery. I took a break, and pushed my way through again, this time going on the outer edge near the walls, which was harder to get through.

The piece is an interesting investigation of interaction, space, and perception.   The scale, color, and labyrinth of shapes provide an interesting experience that when I think back – I mostly remember the bright color of the fabric, since at times that was all that I could see.

You can read more about his work, and also what he is up to this Winter at Spaces Gallery in the Spaces World Artist Program on his blog and website.

 

Links:

http://www.sculpturecenter.org/

http://www.jimmykuehnle.com/

 

Anti-Theft Lunch Bags

Anti-Theft Lunch Bags

Posted on by Kbaumlier

One day my friend told me about how someone was eating some of the carrots from his lunch that he stored in his work’s fridge.  It was quite distressing to learn that this was why the carrots seemed to disappear so quickly.

If having your food stolen by coworkers or roommates is a problem, you can get the Anti-theft Lunch Bags designed by the design team called .the which provide a unique protection for your food.

The bags are sandwich bags that have green splotches printed on both sides, which makes your food look spoiled. The bags are reusable, food-safe, and recyable, and provide a rotten and unappeallig (a.k.a. gross)  look to your food.  Five percent of the purchase of the bags goes to Freedom from Hunger, a non-profit that helps provide food for those in need.

On the website where you can order the bags, a warning is written that says, “Use cauton in offices with overzealous fridge cleaners.”  In my office, I have to say that this is not a problem.  Someone’s Japanese Kupie mayonaisse has been sitting in the bag for over a year in the fridge,  so the anti-theft bags I think would be safe.

Image Source:
http://www.thinkofthe.com

 

Links:

http://www.thinkofthe.com/product.php?name=anti-theft-lunch-bags#

http://www.thinkofthe.com