Hasta La Gadget!

Many years ago – it seems like a lifetime – I used to be a theatrical lighting designer. Even though I’m not in the business any more, I’m always on the lookout for cool lighting fixtures. While digging through the recesses of Etsy, I came across a unique series of lamps from artist Roger Gano of Golden Heart Illuminations.

My personal favorite is his red and gold Dream Weaver origami table lamp shown here. The fixture has two main components. The globe is handmade from 120 interlocking origami components, constructed from translucent parchment paper held together with shoji paper and Japanese Nori glue. The base of the lamp is constructed from veneered MDF formed into a wavelike shape, and then strung with thread. The spines of the lamp are textured with sand and eight coats of acrylic paint, infused with iridescent mica particles. The finished lamp base is reminiscent of the structural composition of a suspension bridge.

It’s really a spectacular design, and definitely something your friends won’t already have in their homes. The lamp shown here is selling for $365(USD), but Golden Heart Illuminations has many other lamps, including ceiling floor and table lamps ranging in price from $55 all the way up to $825.

Last week we checked out the Tokyo Design and Craft Market where exhibitors showcased products created using a combination of Japanese traditional craftwork and the latest in wood, metal and textile production technology.

Some exhibitors in particular displayed some very interesting products and designs that had applied this blend of tradition and modern often typically associated with Japan.

Kaminokousakujo (the paper workshop) seems to have taken origami to the extreme with their Kamigu brand which enables people to create a wide range of useful products (featured bellow) from just one sheet of folded paper.

Lite Lite: an Paper LED flashlight

Paper dust-pan and brush

Paper vase and airvase

stick-on planter

Paper glasses

Another exhibitor at the market Nagare had rebranded the Japanese art of furoshiki: often described as the “origami of waterproof cloth”. Originating in the Edo period, furoshiki was used by people to wrap up their belongings and protect them from getting wet while they enjoyed public baths or furo.

Nagare Fukoshiki

Nagare meaning flow refers to the way in which water slides right off the surface of the cloth as the products are designed to protect against rain and other liquids. As such Nagare can be used as a shopping bag, makeshift umbrella, stain-proof tablecloth and napkin. Since the material used repels liquid from both sides it can also be used to transport liquids and to water your plants.

There are many ways to wrap and tie a furoshiki to make the most of its many uses as the video bellow demonstrates.

Nagare furoshiki demonstrates the ideal mix of simplicity, Japaneseness and modern textile technology.

Luthier (pictured bellow) was another exhibitor that caught our eyes.

With wood sourced from the forests of Hakone and crafted using traditional techniques, Luthier created products with a useful purpose such as business card cases, tissue boxes, bowls and musical instruments.

These three exhibitors captivated our attention for the main reason that they have enhanced traditional Japanese crafting techniques to make useful products for everyday use. As they can be directly associated with the duality of Japan we’ve also seen a great interest overseas in modern products using traditional design and methods.

Related Posts:

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If your decor choices aren’t governed by concerns over child safety, then the stark angles and pointy corners of Mirco Kirsch’s origami lamp just might land it a home on your desk. It’s another flat-pack engineering marvel that assembles in just five minutes with nothing but a few strategic folds. More »

You’d think that a story about an origami Yoda would be a first, right? Well, the world being what it is today, it turns out that our very own Lambert Varias wrote about an origami Yoda last year. But I think this one has got the original beat like Yoda beat down Darth Maul – so take that, Lambert!

This detailed Yoda sculpture was hand-folded out of a single sheet of paper by James Lucas, based on a design by Fumiaki Kawahata. How can that be one sheet of paper, you ask? It’s actually a sheet of tissue-foil paper with green on one side and ivory on the other, that’s how.

Yoda stands about 6″ tall, and is covered with a layer of waterproof spray lacquer, which should keep him in good condition – though I still wouldn’t leave him out in the Dagobah swamp for long. Order origami Yoda over on Etsy for $55 (USD) you will.

Cardboard never ceases to amaze. Having been deployed in gramophones, stereos and even digital cameras, one inventor now believes it can be used to make the ideal bicycle. Izhar Gafni, from Israel, spent 18 months just folding the material every-which-way in order to discover a strong enough design, and now he claims his technique is almost ready for mass production. His maintenance-free bike uses a “secret” mix of organic materials to make it waterproof and fireproof, and is then lacquered to give it a friendlier appearance. It’s expected to cost a mere $20 and weigh about 20 lbs (9 kg) — that’s 65 percent lighter than an average metal ride. In fact, this bicycle doesn’t use any metal parts at all — the solid tires are made of reconstituted rubber and a car timing belt is used instead of a chain. It lacks the swank of a Faraday Porteur, perhaps, but then you could buy 175 of these for the same money. Want proof that it actually works? The bike’s not-so-featherweight inventor takes it for a spin after the break.

[Image credit: Reuters / Baz Ratner]

Continue reading Cardboard bicycle ‘close to mass production’: tough, green and just $20

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Cardboard bicycle ‘close to mass production’: tough, green and just $20 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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