Evolution Of Steel: Josh Hadar's One-Of-A-Kind Custom Eco- Friendly Bikes.

From May 6th-May 27th, Josh Hadar (above), founder and owner of Hadar Metal Design, an eco-friendly design group that creates one-of-a-kind custom bikes and environmental installations, will launch his first showcase at 285 Lafayette St. in New York City.

The L'Ovalle:





Hadar has worked to develop new sculptural art installations that bring evolving environmental technologies to the forefront of the art world and will display a series of bikes and trees, all hand crafted from steel in his neighborhood workshop.

Richard The Lionhearted:




The exhibit will display everything from Josh's crude early work to his more recent custom bikes such as "ER's Teardrop," which features nickel on rolled steel, hand-spun aluminum plate wheels, and a hand-blown, steel-wrapped glass fuel tank with an 80 cc gas powered motor with pedal assist.

ER's Teardrop:




Also featured is "Christy Lynn," built to honor the strength and spirit of his dear friend Christie Lynn Medrano who died of complications from the treatment of breast cancer in November of 2008.

The Christy Lynn:




Josh's shop is fully equipped with solar power and he is exploring new applications of alternative drive systems and power sources for his unique bikes, trees and tricycles. The results of this work has earned an enthusiastic and diverse global audience of fine artists, craftspeople, environmental scientists, engineers, technicians and social activists who bring their knowledge and energy to the development of new projects. Now for the first time, Josh's work will be showcased in one setting, allowing admirers to experience the next wave of eco-conscious design.

Eco-Luxe bikes:






"I am thrilled to be able to showcase my work to new audiences," said Josh Hadar. "Artists have a responsibility to not only create visually pleasing installations but also a social need to be leaders in the environmental movement and I hope that my work will not only excite the art community but also inspire change."

The Solar E-Trike:





"The Evolution of Steel," will debut with a private preview on Thursday, May 5th in the original space that Hadar began his journey into the art world years ago. After a storied career in the nightlife and theater industries, Hadar decided to pursue his true passion and trained himself how craft steel through natural means (around fire hydrants, lamp posts, trash cans and trees) rather than using heat or electric equipment. His early work with reclaimed building materials and broken bicycles from the streets of New York developed into an exploration of the relationship between biological and technological forms. Hadar was drawn to the art of metal sculpting by its structural fluidity and lack of strict aesthetic rules, which encouraged the self-taught artist to learn the particulars of metal design in order to create original installations.

Father Heart, Mother Heart and Little Cub:


In addition to the bikes, Josh will showcase his newest creations, solar powered steel trees that represent the future of eco-conscious design, already displayed across the globe including an installation at the Intercontinental Hotel in Times Square.



DESIGNER JOSH HADAR PRESENTS "THE EVOLUTION OF STEEL"
Featuring New York's First Solar Powered Electric Vehicles and Additional Eco-Conscious Art Installations

Where:
285 Lafayette St. (Bet. Houston and Prince St.)
New York, NY 10012

When:
PRESS PREVIEW: Thursday, May 5th from 7:00 PM-10:00 PM
EXHIBIT: From May 6th-27th
Tuesday to Friday: 1pm-9pm
Saturday: 12pm-9pm
Sunday: 12pm-6pm

For more information and to view more of Josh's work please Hadar Metal Design.

Louis Vuitton Creatures Made Of Small Leather Goods By Billie Achilleos.

above: detail of a Chameleon, made completely of Louis Vuitton's small leather goods.

Recently, Louis Vuitton tapped Chameleon Visual and the incredibly talented propmaker/puppeteer/artist Billie "Fingers" Achilleos for a second time*. In this instance, it was to create four bespoke animals made from Small Leather Goods for their AW11 Press event, which was held in Paris this week.

The Chameleon - for colour:


The Grasshopper - for sounds of zips and press studs:




The Beaver - for functionality:



& the Armadillo - for the materials strength:



Imagery Provided by Louis Vuitton Press Department, via the artist

*Earlier this year Billie Achilleos, the self-proclaimed "Maker of Things" was approached by Chameleon Visual to produce some very unique creatures for the debut windows of Louis Vuitton’s New Bond Street Maison. Each of the 20 bespoke animals was carefully constructed out of genuine Louis Vuitton bags, purses and accessories and resented in dome jars.

The windows were such a success, they did it again for the New York store.

Here's a few images of those, courtesy of the artist:

above left: the window of the Bond Street store and right, in New York.

Bond Street, frog:

Crab and Fish:

New York:

Snake and Rooster:


The talented Billie Achilleous:


Louis Vuitton

Sneakerknobs. Door Handles Shaped Like Nike Air Max Kicks By Metrofarm.

The Sneakerknob by Berlin-based Metrofarm is a Nike Air Max sneaker cast in aluminum or bronze that functions as a door handle.



Created for such hip shoe stores as Overkill in Berlin, The Good Will Out in Cologne and most recently, the new Paar sneaker boutique in Vienna, the doorknobs make opening the door a real kick.

For Paar:



At Overkill:


The Good Will Out in Cologne features a bronze Sneakerknob:




About Metrofarm


Founded in 2001 by Julia Böttcher and Jan 'Nunu' Müller, Berlin-based Metrofarm's expertise lies in design & manufacture, from the pre-conceptual stage to finished products & installation.

Their versatile and fully integrated skill-set enables them to successfully initiate and control multi-faceted international assignments, combining graphics, packaging & promotional materials, garments, artefacts, lighting, exhibitions & events, retail/showroom/gallery interiors and product displays, fittings & furniture.

Their willingness to continuously experiment and improvise innovative techniques results in unique & original solutions for clients Nike, Absolut, Smart, ZDF, Allianz, Bang & Olufsen, Zeiss, Royal Copenhagen, Fritz Hansen, Georg Jensen, Louis Poulsen, De:bug, Dummy, Die Welt, etc.

Metrofarm constantly develop their collections of furniture and products as well as designing individual pieces for private clients.

Metrofarm
METROFARM GMBH
LOBECKSTRASSE 36,
AUFGANG 4
10969 BERLIN
GERMANY

TEL.: +49 30 23457753
FAX.: +49 30 23457755

info@metrofarm.net