One of the tricky things about working at Recyclistas is determining the quality of used parts. Do they go into the second-hand bin for sale? Do we put them on a bike we’re going to sell or rent? Does it go into the Africa box? Or maybe it’s even too shoddy for that? In that case there is a bucket destined for the foundry. But sometimes, a piece just looks too cool to be melted down. Well, many times it doesn’t need to be tossed. There are still alternatives.
Bikes that Became Art
Bike-art is a major component of bicycle recycling, and since it has become so ubiquitous in my surroundings, I barely notice it any more. That is, until I was inspired to address these sometimes functional, sometimes decorational cases of bicycle up-cycling, by a post by @robmolecule, of a fellow bike enthusiast, where he showed me something similar in one of his comments.
Form, Function, or Both?
The fish with the air-bubbles made of sprockets, and the eye-in-the-flower design are purely to adorn an otherwise empty wall, which they do very well indeed. This scorpion however… can you imagine it on your cosmetics-table, holding your jewelry?
The toilet-paper-holder is of essential functionality, and works quite well too, with the quick-release skewer. The chandelier, on the other hand is mostly for deco. It doesn’t even require a light-bulb to look good, which is what it was originally designed for.
Heads, Heads Everywhere!
Then there are all these heads everywhere! A seat combined with some handlebars usually makes a beautiful bull’s head… or whatever animal it may be. They are reminiscent of cattle skulls from the stereotypical desert scene, or hunting-trophies collectors like to hang on their walls. Let’s not forget that these are all bike parts, and suddenly you can put them on all your outside AND inside walls. To me they are like gargoyles, keeping away bad spirits merely by looking out of their formidable faces.
Function Over Form: The Ugliest Chairs Around
Finally, to address the pure pragmatism of Recyclistas, here is some bike-furniture: The pieces are shamelessly bike-made, so much so that they would be hard to imagine anywhere outside of a bike-shop. Here, however, we make use of them every day. And you know what? They are actually quite comfortable! And if they break, you only need to go to the scrap-pile for some more material.
Please check out these great communities I'm contributing to:
#homesteadersonline | Website | Discord Community
#ecotrain | What is EcoTrain | Discord Community
#thankyoubicycle | Introducing Thank You Bicycle
That's really a creative ideas to create such things from recycle stuff. It looks pretty cool especially the scorpion art.
Well, the place isn't called Recyclistas for no reason. :-) That scorpion, by the way, is mostly built of brake-levers on a piece of rim. The stinger is another lever, and the claws are pieces of sprockets. Individually they are just bike parts. Put together like this it suddenly becomes a unique artistic object.
Thanks for stopping by.
love it! what a great group of creative objects from bike parts :) i always love stuff like this :) i like lots of things remade from old "scraps", but stuff made from bike parts is even that much better because i love bikes so much!
I know, right? (Oh, this trendy expression from these parts.) Using tires for a wall, you're thinking that as ugly as it may be, at least they won't get burned or land in the ocean. But bike art looks great, plus it reminds you of cycling (or bike mechanics, which ever way).
These are really cool i like them all. I like the scorpion and I the multi-functionality 0f these for likw jewelry.
PS. I contacted you about battery pack
I'm not sure whether the scorpion was made specifically for jewelry, I just imagine that it could work well. :-)
Great post! I love anything to do with upcycling and do quite a bit of it myself, when I have the time. I love the idea of using the tires for seat bands. The way my kids go through the nylon webbing on their fishing chairs you may have just saved my summer vacation! Thank you =)
Well, in that case you should definitely try bike tires. They are thinner and more pliable than car tires, so you can make decent webbing for seats and such. Would love to see how they turn out!
I love this post. These sculptures have a ton of personality and they look great too. Sculpting from brand new materials should be banned!
Hahaha, I see where this is going: building anything from new material should be banned, the next step would be: building anything from new material is impossible for lack of resources, and we find ourselves in a mad-max scenario. These kind of sculptures will make even there!
I guess it’s easy for me to say, you can’t paint with used paints!
I love this post: bicycles and up-cylcing FOR THE WIN! I often choose function over form, or as I often say, function over fashion when I purchase clothing, shoes, equipment, furniture, etc. I like beautiful things, yet in the end, everything I own has to work well for its purpose or I'll get rid of it. Thanks for sharing this awesome art and more about Recyclistas! Now I'm going to see what Steemit Dreamit is about...
Bill Mollison said: "Beautiful is what works." But in these examples I think both go hand in hand. And yes, please do! Steemit Dreamit is a facebook group that just came back alive recently. I like it a lot because it focuses on authentic, real-time actual humans, who have authentic posts to share.
I like that quote, very spot-on.
Excellent. I requested to join the group and answered the admin questions. Fingers crossed I get in... I'm using Facebook less and less overall, as I experiment with Steemit. The group could be a good way to combine the two and get to know people better.
Exactly! And don't worry, you'll get in, as long as you prove yourself to be authentic.
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this is great,I'm very impressed with the creativity on show in all these great pieces, I quite like the stools actually especially if they are comfortable too, I did have a chandelier made from a wheel in my bell tent for my 2nd daughters birth, it had candles on the top sitting onto jar lids that were screwed into the frame, a great present from my partner.