above photo by Mark Rabiner for The New York Times
Designer Harry Allen loves trucks. His immaculately restored 1964 Willys Jeep was recently featured in the New York Times, but it was his fond memories of playing in the dirt that lead him to the idea of "Pickup". The beauty of any pickup truck is its utilitarian aesthetic - four strong wheels and the capacity to haul cargo and Harry turned that aesthetic into functional art as his latest piece for AREAWARE.
Below is Harry Allen at his Pound Ridge home with his restored Willys and his basset hounds, Ben and Emma: above photo by Mark Rabiner for The New York Times
Harry had function on his mind as he cast a toy pick-up truck and turned it into a catch-all bowl. As with all REALITY products, it is the material transformation that completes the idea. The cool-looking "Pickup" is an objet d'art that can serve as a bowl for keys, coins or even a planter for small succulents.
The Pickup by Harry Allen is now available in chrome ($150) or white ($85). Blue chrome ($180), gold ($150) and orange ($85) are available for pre-order. Made of resin and marble, measuring 5 x 12 x 6 inches. Buy them here.
John Dodelande of Artcurial invited artist Xavier Veilhan to draw a nautical sculpture to be built by the Frauscher shipyard. This unique project marks the first time artist Xavier Veilhan has been invited to design a functional object in sync with his aesthetic beliefs.
above: Veilhan's oversized animal sculptures are faceted and always one color
First off, if you're not familiar with Veilhan's work, he's best known for his sculptural installations and had an impressive show at Versailles in 2009: above: Veilhan's purple horse-drawn carriage at Versailles
Now, back to his RAL 5015 with tons of images, auction info and a video, too.
The name of the boat refers to the actual color. RAL is the standard color system when it comes to painting and coating (the way Pantone is for printing).
above: The artist, Xavier Veilhan, stands in his RAL 5015
The unique design corresponds perfectly to Xavier Veilhan’s approach to movement and means of transport – from the horse to more sophisticated types of craft… such as this motor-boat.
Veilhan's moving sculpture can hold 8 people and functions beautifully with a maximum speed of 40 knots:
The Shark - Stainless steel Shark sculpture (50 cm length) on remote controlled platform.
As an integral part of the RAL 5015 boat, "The Shark" is a small object with a length of 50 cm, made of solid stainless steel that ascends and descends by remote control! A rectangular cover of composite material is provided, which is why you don't see the shark in all the images) and protects the piece from unwanted attention.
Dimension of the Shark : 20 x 49,7 x 21,7 cm Dimensions of the stand : 3,5 x 6 cm made of solid stainless steel, fitted in the bulk. Material : Polished solid stainless steel Surface treatment : The shark is permanently protected from sea salt as the roughness of the metal has been diminished through a special wash, making it non-oxidizing Protective case : In blue composite material (monochrome RAL 5015) ; 60 x 30 x 25 cm Remote control : 2 buttons
The boat was designed on computer:
And thanks to the expertise of the Frauscher shipyard, the work of Veilhan, RAL 5015 is also a powerful boat and at the forefront of marine technology.
A sneak preview of the boat was shown from May 27 to June 14, 2010 at the Hôtel Marcel Dassault, Paris, prior to its auction.
The functional artpiece, made of composite resins and metal was auctioned on July 20th at the Hôtel Hermitage in Monte-Carlo, by Artcurial. The sale results have not yet been disclosed. Estimate for the auction price was $235,000.00 to $260,000.
Specifications of the piece: Frauscher 686 Vessel hull identification number (HIN) : AT FRALOO82D010 Length : 6.90m Width : 2.20m Water-level : 6.40m Visible height above water : 1.25m Draught : 0.65/1.00m Dry weight : 1700kg Tank capacity : 157 litres Maximum speed : 40 knots Cruising speed : 25 knots Engine : MERCRUISER Output 220 HP Cubic capacity : 4.3 l MPI, 220 PS ; Alpha 1 Number of persons : 8 max.
A standard gauge and construction certificate, as required for navigation permit, will be provided to the purchaser.
The hull of the RAL5015 has a 2-year guarantee from the Frauscher shipyard; its engine has a 3-year constructor’s guarantee.
Born in 1963, living and working in Paris, Xavier Veilhan has established itself as one of the major artists of his generation, winning over his exhibitions international recognition. Emerged in the early 90s, Veilhan established the elements of a singular and unique vocabulary. If his work borrows the most varied forms: from sculpture to painting, photography, installation, film or live performance, all these practices converge towards creating a world whose wealth stems from a relationship very strong history and a profound reflection on modernity.
Through a simple pull of the lower body, it extends the normal baby carriage into a scooter, creating a more sportive and faster transportation on various terrains and giving both parties a good time.
For the development of the Roller Buggy, a great amount of design and market research was invested. At first, the combination of baby carriage and scooter was tested in numerous plans and models after which the best results were optimized in a 3D model.
After the 3D model was created, a prototype was built and tried out in a park by placing a life size dummy into a third-party seat with seat belts. As the security of the child has priority, two front brake disks are provided to enable speed reduction at any time.
Child safety- Roller Buggy has a specially-made hydraulic brake system with two disk brakes that allow to reduce the speed and to stop. There is also a safety belt on the child's seat. The child should be older than 1,5 years and the speed shouldn't be faster than 15 km/h.
For children 1.5 - 4 years Materials: Aluminium, plastic and rubber Characteristics: Easy to store away, multifunctional purpose Usage: Alleys, parks, streets
A Carbon Fibre Folding Electric Bike Available For Pre-Order
The YikeBike is a a super high–end all electric folding bicycle made of carbon fiber that weighs less than 10 kg. Currently designed and assembled in New Zealand, the bike is available for pre-order now and the first 100 orders are expected to be delivered mid 2010.
Initially the YikeBike will be available in the UK, Germany, France, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Denmark, Belgium and New Zealand.
More information and FAQs after the following images.
hi-res photos below, please click to enlarge:
Answers to some of the important questions:
How fast does the YikeBike go? The YikeBike is electronically limited to 20 kph, even down-hill. It accelerates to top speed in just a few seconds.
How long does it take to charge the YikeBike? This depends on the amount of battery discharge, but a typical time would be 20 minutes for 80% charge. How much does it cost to charge? It depends upon your electricity supplier, but in most cities the cost to charge would be less that €0.10 equivalent.
How tall/short do you have to be to ride the YikeBike? Is the seat adjustable? Is there a weight limit? The YikeBike can comfortably be ridden by anyone from 160cm to 195cm (5’3” to 6'5"). There is no need to adjust the seat because you do not pedal – your height relative to the seat is only important to how much your knees are bent when riding. The YikeBike can comfortably take a rider (and personal effects) weighing up to 100kg. Beyond this weight we do not warrant performance. Over time we may make different sized ones - particularly for children.
What is the battery life and cost of replacement? The YikeBike has latest Lithium Phosphate (liFePO4) batteries that are good for at least 1,000 charges. We will share the exact details when they become available closer to the start of YikeBike production.
How quickly does it fold? With a bit of practice, folding takes less than 15 seconds.
Can I have a colour other than black? ‘Carbon fibre black’ is the only colour that will initially be available for a YikeBike. After initial production has begun we will look at different colours and options to accessorise your YikeBike.
How heavy is a YikeBike? The YikeBike weighs less than 10kg with a full battery and air in the tyres
What are the folded dimensions of a YikeBike? The folded dimensions are 150mm by 600mm by 600mm. The total folded volume is 40 litres. The folded YikeBike is considerably smaller than a typical folding bicycle and the fact that all of the mechanicals are enclosed reduces the risk of marking or staining clothing or furniture.
How far can YikeBike go? Currently the YikeBike can travel a distance of 9 - 10 Km.
How much will the Yike-Bike cost? The price for the first YikeBikes will be between €3,500-€3,900. You can pre-order one now here with a deposit on your credit card.
About the inventor, Grant Ryan: YikeBike founder, Grant is an addicted inventor and entrepreneur. He has founded a number of companies including GlobalBrain.net (sold to NBCi), RealContacts, SLI Systems (profitable fast growing SaaS search company) and Eurekster (North America Red Herring 100 in 2006). He is on the board of Canterbury Development Corporation and has also served on the board of the New Zealand Government's $140 million Venture Investment Fund and $430 million Foundation for Research Science and Technology.
Grant has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and a PhD in Ecological Economics from the University of Canterbury. The YikeBike perfectly combines his love of mechanics, environment and innovation.
YikeBike is a statement about using smart technology to solve the problems of our increasingly congested, polluted, stressful cities. It is the first commercial expression of the mini-farthing concept, created up by a bunch of successful entrepreneurs, engineers and dreamers. More on the history of the development of the concept can be found at www.minifarthing.com
all images and information courtesy of YikeBike.com
