October, 2008

October 2008 was the last time I updated this thing. And I didn't really update it. I copied some poem by some comedian. In the meantime, the only interaction this space has seen has been spammers and some random google searchers.

Blogging is a discipline...etc. I do love the whole Re-Use and Urban Aesthetic, but I think my understanding of it does not line up with anyone else's concept. It would be useful to point out also that the necessity of re-use is not and has never been exclusively “Urban.”

So hey, expect some changes. Expect them soon.

Ode to Hannity - by John Cleese

Dear John Cleese,
You are a genius.
Sincerely,
Chris

Ode to Sean Hannity

by John Cleese

Aping urbanity
Oozing with vanity
Plump as a manatee
Faking humanity
Journalistic calamity
Intellectual inanity
Fox Noise insanity
You’re a profanity
Hannity

Book Vases

I am a used book-fiend. I have personally visited 90% of the used-bookstores in Chicago and most of my collection is previously owned. While the rest of the nation focuses on getting people to actually read, I'm tilting at the windmills, trying to get people who buy books to find used ones first. Why print more when there is ample supply? I'm not going to get into my whole huge list of reasons why used books are cooler than corporate-sellout-newbooks, but I did stumble on some things to do with books that can't be sold or recycled (heavy glue in the bindings).

Designer Laura Cahill re-purposes used books using a bandsaw and test tubes. One minute it's a 1988 reprint of How to Use Microsoft Windows 95 and the next it's a beautiful (and waterproof!) flower vase.

"My idea of using second hand books came around after doing research into common unwanted objects. One of the most common unwanted objects that can be found at either charity shops, car boot sales and sometimes on the streets are books. I discovered that the glue in old books make them extremely difficult to recycle. Aware of this I challenged myself to turn the second hand books that I had been collecting, into desirable objects such as furniture, lighting and ornaments."

"I took a hands-on approach and started experimenting with the possibilities in which books can be used in other ways; I developed a number of delicate yet practical designs. Using traditional methods of book binding I transformed them into valued objects. My designs transform local waste, not only adding value but also creating art forms which are aesthetically pleasing."

In my effort to showcase the creative re-use of unwanted objects, I hope I've piqued your imagination. Hat Tip to boingboing and Chris Brooks.


Q: What is your most common unwanted item?