Art surrounds everyone daily, and it’s easy for people to take art for granted. For centuries many art forms have shaped the world. Many artists get their inspiration from their predecessor’s work while adding their unique twists to their work. Some modern pieces take a lot of effort, time, practice, and even failure to get right. Regardless, contemporary art pieces can be both inspiring and entertaining.
When artists take everyday items, particularly waste products, to make art, people often pay attention. Many things, such as barbed wire, paint, toilet paper, and old compact disks, have given rise to breathtaking art installations. Here are some of the modern industrial materials to create unique art installations.
Glass
There are many forms and expressions of art all around. Many creative minds can take the simplest or most complex substances to make breathtaking masterpieces. While paintings and sculptures easily come to mind, countless other art forms are made of different materials. A great example is various types of glass.
It is an extremely volatile and delicate substance, yet it has been used to make some unique art pieces. However, glass as a substance used in art isn’t a new phenomenon; however, many modern artists have taken advantage of this extraordinary substance to make unique pieces, vases, jewelry, and many other creative pieces.
One major advantage of glass is that people can recycle it. Glasses are commonly used in everyday life, and people often need to dispose of them properly. Most recycling companies, restaurants, and creatives can use glass crushers to make bulky glass bottles, plates, vases, and other big pieces of glass smaller and easier to work around. While industrial companies would typically use a glass crushing machine, there are many ways people can crush glass at home. It is advisable to wear protective gear during the process to avoid injuries. Crushed glass has many uses, including; making beads, jewelry, and ornaments, and can even serve as a source of color in intricate glass fusing, mosaics, and collages.
Screen Printing
Screen printing is a unique art form. That involves the general process of forcing ink onto a surface through a screen made of mesh. In other words, it works very much like a stencil. It is also known as stratigraphy or silkscreen. While the art technique is fairly old, dating back to the 1st millennium AD, it has recently grown in popularity. It began to pick up pace in the 60s, and since then, it has grown majorly due to technology. With professional equipment, screen printing has become extremely diverse. It is used to make a wide range of art, including logos, banners, posters, cards, labels, signage, and even electronic circuit boards.
Screen printing works well on various surfaces, including; wood, metal, textile, posters, canvas, paper, etc. It is a great option for DIY projects, making it a form of art that a person can essentially do from their kitchen table. While the machine printers are more accurate, many artists enjoy making the art by hand; some even enjoy the mistakes. The diversity of this art means that different people can enjoy unique forms of art, but at the same time, art has become a powerful tool.
Pontiac
Right after the second world, Pontiac art became of the most successful art forms. It focused on vehicles produced by General Motors. The drawings were a form of advertising for the company. The pictures were high quality and worked until photography eventually took over. Since it was faster, cheaper, and by then, great quality, the drawings were no longer a feasible idea.
The Pontiac Firebird was one of the most popular and celebrated vehicles from the 1960s to the early 2000s. While these vehicles are no longer in production, they are considered classics, and some people still look for Pontiac firebird parts to repair them. People typically don’t consider engineering and mechanics as forms of art. However, it takes creativity to recreate aspects of a vehicle that’s no longer manufactured. Some companies can restore the former gems to their former glory by replacing parts and repairing the cars. At the same time, they can modernize these vehicles.
The pieces of old Pontiac art are considered valuable today. Many people collect them from old magazines. Some are treasured art pieces in people’s homes, and some are auctioned off. The art form has also inspired modern versions of Pontiac art. Some of these are in the form of paintings, graffiti, toys, and sculptures.
Ball Bearings
Ball bearings may not automatically seem like art forms. They are important in many engineering processes because they aid in mobility and help reduce friction when lubricated with greasy substances. There are many different art forms, and while each art form may have some science behind it, some a more peculiar than others. One such art type uses ball bearings.
They can make some incredible sculptures and kinetic-themed art. Kinetic art is an art form that can move or be an abstract representation of movement. There are a lot of things to consider when making kinetic art. For instance, does the sculptor prefer a slow or a fast-moving sculpture? Another question may be what should trigger the movement. Getting this art form right requires a lot of practice and expertise. However, many kinetic sculptures have made an incredible mark on society.
Another art form where ball bearings may be used is hand burnishing. It is essentially the use of pressure to transfer an image onto paper. It is a lot like the printing process. The only difference is that hand burnishing is manual. In this art form, bamboo was traditionally used to handprint lino and vinyl. In some cases, people used spoons.
The professionally made barens were quite costly. An alternative was necessary to help make the art form cheaper and more accessible. As a result, ball bearing barens came to life. They have numerous advantages, including better pressure than traditional options making the transfer process easier and faster.
Gold
In the past, gold was associated with power, royalty, wealth, and divinity. Gold has been the center of many creative pieces of art for many centuries. For instance, many art pieces from medieval times were made from gold and silver. In other periods gold was used to repair broken pottery. The practice isn’t very common today, but some artists still try to keep the tradition alive while adding some modern touches.
In contemporary installation art, the audience becomes a part of the art. One artist, for example, placed a large gold cube weighing about 400 pounds in the middle of central park. It was made of pure gold, and the sight was enough to make any gold buyers hungry for a few ounces. Another piece that caused a stir was the 18-karat gold toilet. The toilet was useable and sold and installed in a UK home.
Other forms of gold-based art aren’t as showy or unrelatable. Some artists have found ways to mix different art forms to create artistic gold-centered pieces. Using bold colors, patterns, and pictures is an example of how some modern-day art forms look. Even a simple gold frame can make an image stand out. However, gold is still widely used to make jewelry and beads; in some cases, it is woven into thread for embroidery purposes. Painters can generate the color gold by mixing several different colors.
Fillers
People are constantly surrounded by art. However, paintings are some of the most easily recognizable pieces. Paintings can work on many surfaces, such as walls, paper, textiles, canvas, wood, etc.
Fillers are added to paint and coatings to help improve their properties. They are small solid particles that, in most cases, are naturally occurring. However, fillers contain many impurities in their natural state and need processing before their use. They are typically white or colorless and mostly used in their powdered form. One unique creative art form that fillers can make when added with paint is texture.
Paintings are typically two-dimensional, making it hard for artists to convey texture. However, there are various techniques that artists may use to create both visual and physical textures. For larger surfaces depending on the look, the artist is trying to achieve fillers that may help make the texture. Other than fillers, artists also require many tools to create their desired look, such as; combs, stencils, wedges, etc. Examples of fillers include; calcium carbonate, talc, barium sulfate, diatomaceous earth, sand, etc.
Vapes
Art can be a great expression of authentic views in a unique and relatable way. It can be a great form of entertainment but also a way to convey important messages. Vaping is a new form of smoking that is a great way to help people break off nicotine addiction. Many vaping products vary in their nicotine levels and come in various flavors. These products come in different containers. Some are disposable, and others are refillable.
Some artists like to create art pieces using disposed of items, including tossed-out vaping containers. Vaping product containers come in different shapes. There are many sculptures and abstract works that are incredible. The main advantage of these art forms is that they help with the issue of disposal. Since vaping is fairly new, there aren’t many ways of disposing of them because most recycling centers aren’t equipped with the programming to recycle them. They have lithium-ion batteries which could potentially explode if not handled with care. Some of the substances in the containers aren’t easily separated, making recycling difficult.
Other than the containers, other forms of vaping artwork have been made. For instance, one artist created a sculpture with a large-scale vaporizer that creates plumes of mist. Using LED lights, most can appear in different colors. In Brussels, the public protested the ban on the different vaping flavors by designing murals. Ultimately, vapes have successfully made their way into various art forms thanks to the creative visions of artists who saw the need.
Shutters, Glass Doors and Windows
These everyday household items seem ordinary, but they are useful art pieces. But when the term ‘art’ is demystified, people can learn that even a simple thing like a shutter can be a form of creativity. Using unique or custom design shutters is a great way to make a house stand out. They can be made of different materials, such as wood, PVC, and aluminum.
Many homes come with many differences, including the shapes of windows. Getting custom window shutters is the best way to ensure they will fit the windows. Some ways to make a shutter stand out in the home are opting for colors and designs that match or complement the house’s theme.
Shutters don’t just work well for the windows but are also great for doors. One creative way of using shutters is as a partition in a large room. People can divide their room to make smaller sections simply and in a non-permanent way.
Shutters can also form great art pieces when they are old. People can recycle their shutters to use them to create new art pieces. Shutters can be repurposed to become; door greeters, frames, utility boxes, bed headboards, wall decors, bookshelves, signboards, and so much more.
Many designs can make a home stand out; for instance, homes with interior crooked windows can be very interesting. Adding patterns, shapes, and geometry is a simple way of creating a unique look for any building. Curved or circular windows provide the opportunity for many artistic explorations such as; symmetry, eccentric styles, and other forms of art deco.
Another way to make a house stand out is by having a glass door replacement. It makes room for various customization possibilities. Designs such as stained or frosted glass can help from both an artistic and a private and intimate perspective.
Wrapping Up
Art comes in many different ways. In particular, installation art has a fun, participatory aspect to it. Artists constantly find ways to make new things. What’s even more incredible is when they manage to create unique masterpieces using repurposed items. Artists can make bold statements about modern-day situations through art.