Thinking about the upcoming project using thermachromic ink, I have been looking to icebergs for inspiration. I plan to print images of icebergs onto t-shirts using the ink, which will then disappear once the shirts heats up to the wearer’s body temperature. I was thinking about how to use the ink in a meaningful way, and how to connect the idea of human body temperature to an image of something that disappears. I have already been working with icebergs for a side project involving jewelry, so the inspiration was already at the front of my mind. My hope is that the shirt could serve as a daily reminder as it is pulled from the cold drawer or shelf and the user’s own body temperature causes the image to disappear.

I found some interesting work from other artists and designers also hoping to instill reminders in others:

This eraser called Meltaine by Skeet Wang via Yanko Design gets smaller and dirtier, diminishing with use to remind us that dirty snow is a contributer to global warming. I’m not sure the user would actually connect the idea while using the eraser, but I am intrigued by the concept all the same.

The Global Warming rug contrasts the comfort and softness of a rug with a thorny problem that is specific to our time. Following the age-old tradition of using rugs as a means for communication and a cultural record, NEL is portraying global warming in a scene that invites us to reflect on our impact on today’s world.

At least that’s the intent.

This hot tub from the Pancea Project also addresses icebergs and global warming through design.

Pancea is an expandable and travelling artwork currently being developed by Michael Pinsky, Zoë Walker & Neil Bromwich to function as a universal formula to cure social, economical and political problems. Pinsky, Walker & Bromwich search for artistic ‘solutions’ that simultaneously offer viewers/participants an aesthetic experience and a practical tool to improve life. Panacea strikes a fine balance between naive optimism and an ironic critique on society’s increasingly untenable expectations of artists as: maker of beautiful objects, social reformers, economic revitalisers and catalysts for all things good.

Artists Walker and Bromwich have projects which include inflatable landscapes that speak to our current environmental situation as well as our predicted future. The inflatable Iceberg (below), however, seems to be a project of a different mindset. Instead of mourning the loss of glaciers and icebergs, you can purchase this inflatable toy (for a small fortune) and play with your own!

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 25th, 2009 at 11:13 pm and is filed under design. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.