Environmental Graffiti

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Hidden deep within a lush Australian rainforest are a set of mystical Aborigine sculptures seemingly merged into the natural surroundings. Moss covered torsos of men, women and children protrude from tree trunks and boulders. Some reach heavenward with widespread wings, others envelop each other protectively – all are symbols of the relationship the indigenous Australian Aborigines have with nature.

Travelling Pooh

These mesmerizing sculptures are the work of William Ricketts, a rare Australian born in 1898 who was in awe of the connection the Aborigine people have with the land.

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The clay figures, which Ricketts created on site in his home on Mount Dandenong, near Olinda, express his devout philosophy that all people need to act as custodians of the natural environment just as the Aboriginal people do.

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Ricketts gained his deep understanding of Aboriginal culture during frequent trips to Central Australia, where he lived with the Pitjantjatjara and Arrernte people from 1949 -1960. They soon adopted him as one of their own and willingly posed for the sculptures that would become their legacy.

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William Ricketts died in 1993 at the ripe old age of 94 but he will always be remembered as his figure, too, is dotted around the tranquil fern gully, forever connected to both the family and the land he so loved.

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Source 1, 2, 3, 4

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Antarctica is the coldest and most barren continent on the face of the Earth, with spine chilling temperatures as low as -130°F (-90°C) in the winter. There is next to no vegetation, no permanent population and not a hotel in sight yet people still flock to the area in their droves to get a glimpse of the abundant wildlife and marine life, and these floating beauties: icebergs.

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Only about one-tenth of an iceberg is visible above water making them dangerous to manoeuvre around, as the ill-fated Titanic discovered, and the largest ever recorded towered a whopping 551ft above sea level, roughly the height of a 55-storey building. They’re also capable of travelling an astounding 17 kms (11 miles) a day.

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The green stripes through these icebergs are caused by algae caught in the ice. Brown, yellow and black stripes are the result of sediments being picked up when the ice sheet works its way to the sea.

Source: Crooked Brains

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Imagine setting out for work on a crisp fall morning and instead of boarding a train, bus or car you climb onto, or rather balance precariously, on the centre of a huge one-wheeled vehicle made for one. This is the monowheel, and it’s one of the most bizarre transport designs which has enthralled inventors for over a century and a half.

Engineers, during brainstorming sessions and design bees, looked at a number of ways of getting the lazy human from A to B. These creations involved pedals, treadles and hand-cranks to power a string of wacky creations, including, velocipedes, bicycles and quadricycles; it was from experimenting with these designs that the monowheel was born.

Dark Roasted Blend writes:

“Just like other human-powered road vehicles of the time, early monowheels were powered either by pedals with a friction-transmission on the outer wheel or hand-cranks directly connected to the wheel axle.”

All engineers need to do now is update the design and figure out how to get the monowheel of the 21st century viable for the roads. We’re guessing it might take some planning so while you’re waiting why not take a look at a few other weird and wonderful monowheel contraptions here.

Source: Dark Roasted Blend

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Just when you thought there couldn’t possibly be many more eco cars released this year another one pops on to the market. This time it’s the turn of renowned Spanish car company SEAT; they’ve just introduced the sleek and slender Seat Brisa.

Completely solar-powered, the two-seater, three-wheeler is propelled by solar charged nano-fotovoltaic cells which are located in the vehicle’s translucent elastomere shell, the power generated runs a motor mounted on the rear wheel.

Created by very talented Miguel Ángel Iranzo Sánchez in just one weekend, the Brisa (which means breeze in Spanish) is inspired by the flamboyant moves of flamenco and a love of the sea – how very Mediterranean.

Miguel wanted to convey the lightness of a breeze while maintaining a harmony with nature so used a translucent material for the bodywork, incorporating lots of curves and wood, too.

When it’s in full flow the slinky Brisa is said to sail over the ground like a sailing boat but it’s best saved for sunny days as, not only is it completely solar-powered but there’s no roof/soft top to protect from the elements. Oh well, just don good old-fashioned goggles and a scarf, and enjoy!

Source 1, 2

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Luca Bartoletti

Having been adequately convinced since childhood that the devil was safely locked away in the cracks of the footpath – or wherever – imagine our shock and horror when we discovered the horny beast has been hiding out in Italy the whole time.

Yes, it’s true… well, kind of. A Tuscan legend has it that during the construction of the Ponte del Diavolo, near Borgo a Mozzano, the sole stonemason building it was having a terrible time. He was convinced that he’d never be able to get the bridge finished by the set deadline, which would upset both the town’s folk and the local governor, not something highly recommended in medieval times as the consequences were often messy.

Wokulski

Being a man true to his word and distraught at the idea of not completing the bridge on time, the builder became anxious and despondent, until one day, while he was looking at the unfinished bridge wondering how he was going to complete it in time the devil appeared to him in the form of a respectable businessman – as he does. The builder’s new scheming friend offered to help complete the bridge overnight but, in exchange for his handiwork he demanded the soul of the first person to cross the bridge. Reluctantly, the desperate builder agreed.

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Then, wracked with guilt for agreeing to such a thing, the master mason sought counsel of the local priest who, having insider knowledge of the devil’s wily ways, told the builder to send a pig across the bridge once it was finished. When this was done, the devil, outraged but defeated, hurled himself into the depths of the Serchio River beneath and hasn’t been seen in the area since. Phew!

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Built around 1100AD, the Devil’s Bridge is also known as the Ponte della Maddalena, named after a statue of Mary Magdalene that once stood at the foot of the bridge; the figurine is now housed in the local parish.

Source 1, 2, 3

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Architects and interior designers are forever pushing creative boundaries and actively champion the idea of reusing and recycling space, just as Japanese architect, Nobuhiro Nakamura has done in an old hotel in Shanghai, China.

Using a recurrent leaf pattern throughout the building, Nakamura and his team from Shanghai-based A-Asterisk transformed what was a dark, cramped hotel into a large, welcoming, state-of-the-art office space, which has been appropriately renamed, Leafy Shade.

The reflection of light on the white leaves lends an iridescent quality to the building, which seems to sparkle and glint, even in the absence of natural light.

Source: Dezeen

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As part of our ongoing WTF? Wednesday series we present you with this uncanny image of two men holding out a surging hoard, but why? And where is it taken?

If you guess correctly, or give us a good enough/entertaining answer, our friends over at Neatorama will give you a free T-Shirt of your choice from their online shop and we’ll give you a ‘big up’ next WTF? Wednesday.

All you have to do is drop a guess in the comments section below, along with your name and email. We’ll then contact you if you win (emails addresses will not be published). Enjoy! .

PS. A teensy weensy clue is: August 31st, 2008

Last WTF? Winner

Congrats to Ben who guessed correctly that the last WTF? image of a toilet within a tree was a powder-room pit-stop in a Baobab tree, Zambia; a sight which is pretty common around certain parts of Africa.

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In an attempt to reflect the notion of transparency, French artist Michel de Broin looked to the woods. Finding a large stone deep in the forest of Vosges in France he decided to fix fragments of mirror to the unruly contours, which in turn reflected the natural surroundings while completely hiding the stone.

The effects of the reflections present an altogether ethereal habitat or resembles, what those of us who watch way too many Sci-fi movies would describe as, a hidden spacecraft. In any event, this incredible work of art created from nothing but mirror, glue, cement and stone really is something extraordinary.

Link

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It’s not often you have the chance to view insects up close, they usually fly, jump or scurry away – either that or get swatted, squashed or stamped on. So when we came across these unbelievable insect images we just had to share them with you.

These photographs by German photographer Martin Amm are taken in macro, highlighting the wonderful color and detail we very rarely see in our creepy crawly friends. We’re sure you’ll agree that, whether a blowfly or butterfly, Mother Nature certainly seems to know what she’s doing.

Source: Everyone Forever

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Cast your mind back to childhood celebrations when sparklers lit the night air; people everywhere drawing paths of orange and red light in the night sky, creating jagged lines and swirling patterns with nothing more than a flick of the wrist, mesmerizing anyone who looked on.

Fortunately we no longer have to wait for frantic festivities; artists have spawned a new movement in light art, or light graffiti, as it’s become known. Through time-lapse photography artists are able to capture the ephemeral, organic qualities of light making it seem somewhat more real, more alive.

1. Light and Linear Designs >

2. Old Skool Light Graffiti >

3. Ghostly Patterns and Familiar Shapes >