Lighthearted LEGO Masterpieces

LEGO bricks are no longer just plastic construction toys, they have permeated all facets of pop culture lately… showing up on the silver screen, in video games, on clothing and even fine art. Classically trained Italian artist Stefano Bolcato has had such a penchant for the timeless toys since childhood that he began using them,…

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Next Level Beading

You may recognize Perler beads from your childhood. or perhaps your children (or you) enjoy these tactile “pixels” today, whose novelty bucks the digital trend. One thing is for sure, these tiny fusible plastic beads have an appeal that transcends age and skill level. Romanian artist Claudiu Alexandru takes beading to a whole new level,…

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Tangible Typography

The shipping season has been hitting its peak over the past few days, so we thought it appropriate to share the typographic explorations of Barcelona-based design studio Lo Siento (previous post here). Among their highly creative undertakings are works in which they experiment with injecting colored liquid into individual pouches of plastic bubble wrap to…

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Bottle Cap Art by Mary Ellen Croteau

Chicago-based artist (and self-described “agitator”) Mary Ellen Croteau has a body of work that spans over two decades. Her work has always challenged the ridiculousness of social norms, and her latest, constructed of non-recycled plastic waste, is no different. Influenced by Chuck Close, Croteau arranges thousands of bottle caps in their original color and size…

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Why Not Hand Over a “Shelter” to Hermit Crabs?

These are not your average hermit crab shells you’d find, say, on the boardwalk at the Jersey shore. Japanese artist Aki Inomata created this series of intricate clear plastic cityscapes, in part, as commentary on human adaptation and migration. “The hermit crabs wearing the shelters I built for them, which imitate the architecture of various…

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