The first unconventional form of art I have selected for my presentation is a manmade Christmas tree made of used CDs (image 7 in the list of top ten crazy Christmas trees). It was designed by an artist Tom Deininger and displayed at the Chelsea Market in NYC in 2010.
I must admit that the idea of creating this three-dimensional work of art from recycled materials was not only original, but also a rather successful one. This huge tree became a decoration of NYC. It was necessary to come close to this work of art to see what materials were used by the artist.
Due to the specific qualities of CDs and their ability to reflect light and display the different colors of the spectrum, this work of art creates a visual illusion. At first glance, it is hard to say what colors and materials are used in this amazing construction. The lines used by the artist are obscure, but the shape of the work of art resembles a conventional form of a Christmas tree.
In my opinion, the main message conveyed by the artist in this Christmas tree is his call to conserve the natural resources and not to use them for people’s entertainment. Another symbolic meaning of the tree composed of used CDs is the technological progress in the era of information technologies.
It is notable that all of the CDs used for construction of this unconventional work o art were used and obviously contained certain units of information on them. When I imagine all kinds of music, films and photos which might have been recorded on these CDs, I see this Christmas tree as an information web (Inhabitat, 2011).
Finally, this manmade Christmas tree clearly demonstrates that these are people who are responsible for Christmas miracles.
Costa – Covent Garden
3-D street painting shows how easily people can be deceived. Using the pavement as his canvas, Manfred Stader has become one of the most outstanding street painters in the world. The realistic picture of a giant cup of coffee created by Manfred in London is really stunning.
Regardless of the visual illusion of three-dimensional effect, this work of art is a two-dimensional one. The artists used only chalks and waste products received in the process of coffee roasting. However, the effect produced upon the audience is amazing. Therefore, these were not only special techniques, but also profound skills of the artist which enabled Manfred to create this masterpiece in London’s Covent Garden in front of one of Costa Coffee’s UK cafes.
The frog on the foam of coffee is an important detail made of chaff. The shadow from the saucer and the highlights on the cup and other details create the visual illusion of a three-dimensional object (3-D street-art, n.d.). The shapes used by the artist can be explained with his intentions to create the illusion and impress the spectators. However, when viewing the picture from other angles, people would not see the illusion.
Although this pavement work of art was actually used as a marketing technique by one of Costa Coffee’s UK cafes, it definitely conveys a symbolical meaning. By using the waste materials of coffee industry for creating this picture, the artist intended to say that coffee production can and should be sustainable.
Therefore, the visitors of this café not only enjoy the taste of coffee and desserts, but also can be certain that the administration of Costa Coffee tries to use sustainable manufacturing methods.
Reference List
3-D street-art. Costa – Covent Garden. Web.
Inhabitat. (2011). Top 10 crazy Christmas trees. Web.