{"id":3988,"date":"2010-08-06T09:22:05","date_gmt":"2010-08-06T07:22:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tokao.com\/2010\/08\/06\/art-on-the-fly-10-examples-of-zany-zipper-art\/"},"modified":"2010-08-06T09:22:05","modified_gmt":"2010-08-06T07:22:05","slug":"art-on-the-fly-10-examples-of-zany-zipper-art","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tokao.com\/wordpress\/2010\/08\/06\/art-on-the-fly-10-examples-of-zany-zipper-art\/","title":{"rendered":"Art On The Fly: 10 Examples Of Zany Zipper Art"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

All praise the zipper: the ubiquitous, maintenance-free, no muss, no fuss fastener that trumps both buttons and Velcro! Zippers operate smoothly, silently and safely day in and day out, often in close proximity to our most sensitive bodily parts yet they rarely \u2013 \u201cThere\u2019s Something About Mary\u201d<\/em> excepted \u2013 cause us anxiety or grief. These 10 toothy examples of zany zipper art<\/a> illustrate the mix of appreciation, admiration and YKK-stamped tabs by which society holds these fascinating fasteners.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Zippered Walnut<\/h4>\n

\"\"(images via: Ellen Rixford Studio<\/a> and WebMD<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Artist Ellen Rixford<\/a> knows how to grab one\u2019s attention, as this zippered walnut shells, er, shows so well. The walnut is actually crafted from clay, is 6 inches long and is highlighted by an industrial zipper. Rixford created this striking image for a drug company advertisement\u2026 perhaps regarding a non-surgical treatment to replace testicular surgery.<\/p>\n

Juming Museum\u2019s Zipper Lotus Pond<\/h4>\n

\"\"(image via: BIG art<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Fly fishing anyone? Get your rod (and reel) to Taiwan, where the lushly landscaped grounds of the Juming Museum<\/a> are graced with a most unusual pond. Designed by respected Taiwanese artist and sculptor Ju Chun, the Zipper Lotus Pond was completed in 2009.<\/p>\n

\"\"(images via: My Confined Space<\/a> and Broccoli City<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Sharp eyes may notice that the zipper slider carries the logo \u201cJU-JUN\u201d. It\u2019s not clear exactly what the artist\u2019s intent was in using this logo though the similarity to his name may offer a clue.<\/p>\n

Zipper Tongue<\/h4>\n

\"\"(images via: Stylelist<\/a> and Snopes<\/a>)<\/p>\n

When zipping your lips isn\u2019t enough\u2026 yes, this is a photoshop. Not completely though, the zipper hardware was added to an actual \u201clingua bifida\u201d body modification for a Worth1000<\/a> photoshop contest. Considering the increasing number of bodymods that have crossed the Net of late, we may yet see an actual zippered tongue some day. You just won\u2019t see it in my bathroom mirror.<\/p>\n

Life In The Fastener Lane<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"(images via: Pixyard<\/a>, TACO<\/a> and Telovation<\/a>)<\/p>\n

This group of images highlights zippers that have been painted or otherwise integrated into streets, avenues, boulevards and other paved pathways. One might ask (in a Seinfeld-esque voice),\u201cWhat\u2019s the deal with zippers and roads?\u201d<\/em> Perhaps artists note some correlation between the role of roadways in society and the functionality of zippers on an individual\u2019s clothing. Or, maybe they just need sufficient space.<\/p>\n

\"\"(image via: Impact Lab<\/a>)<\/p>\n

While paint and chalk make sense for roadway artwork, more obtrusive installations such as the Big Zip above are best suited to sidewalks and soft shoulders. Pedestrians and bicyclists may disagree, however.<\/p>\n

Sebastian Errazuriz\u2019s Zipper Dress<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"(images via: Britannica<\/a> and Newslite<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Guys who already have trouble \u201cunwrapping\u201d their dates aren\u2019t going to be thrilled by the Zipper N3 dress. Designed and created by 31-year-old Chilean artist Sebastian Errazuriz<\/a>, the intention wasn\u2019t to facilitate hanky panky but instead provide women with a so-called \u201ccredit crunch dress\u201d that can be adapted to form over 100 different styles. Errazuriz used 120 zippers to make the dress, which he hopes to have mass-produced by a major clothing firm.<\/p>\n

Amalia Versaci\u2019s Upcycled Zippers<\/h4>\n

\"\"(images via: AmaliaVersaci<\/a> and Amalia Versaci \u2013 ETSY Shop<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Amalia Versaci<\/a> has got a name made for fashion and indeed, the Rhode Island School of Design grad focuses her creative energies on clothing and accessories. Her special emphasis is on the zipper, however, and her designs often employ zippers and parts thereof in original yet appealing ways. Versaci has taken a special interest in vintage and upcycled<\/a> zippers, taking inspiration from the shapes and designs popular when zippers were as new, exciting and futuristic as Velcro is today.<\/p>\n

\"\"(images via: Amalia Versaci<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Hear no evil with Amalia Versaci\u2019s zipper slide earrings! I SAID, HEAR\u2026 ok, we\u2019ll move on. Upcycling vintage zipper slides and adding today\u2019s colors, tones and shades adds up to an attractive combination well suited for today\u2019s New Traditionalists.<\/p>\n

\"\"(images via: Amalia Versaci<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Jewelry isn\u2019t the only purpose Versaci dedicates her zipper creations. Above are magnets made from heavy-duty YKK industrial zipper slides and collages crafted from vintage<\/a> zippers still attached to their backing fabric strips.<\/p>\n

Hirotoshi Itoh\u2019s Grinning Stones<\/h4>\n

\"\"(images via: ScienceBlogs Bio-ephemera<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Part of the fascination of fossils is that what\u2019s been locked in rock for countless millions of years is suddenly displayed before your very eyes. Hirotoshi Itoh<\/a>\u2019s zippered stones are something like that, except weirder. From skull-like grinning boulders to congealed coin purses to a soupcon of seashells secreted in silica, Itoh offers a glimpse into the heart of rocks whose concealed treasures are revealed with a mere casual zip.<\/p>\n

\"\"(image via: Jiyuseki<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Creepiest, of course, are Itoh\u2019s granitic grinning stones. Funny, I don\u2019t recall Han Solo smiling as he gazed out from Jabba\u2019s imprisoning block of Carbonite\u2026 unlike Itoh\u2019s mouthy marbles, I guess he just wasn\u2019t into it.<\/p>\n

Benoit Lemoine: The Zip Tape Experiment<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"(images via: Benoit Lemoine<\/a> and Design-Milk<\/a>)<\/p>\n

The cool thing about zipper tape is that it can be used to reveal heretofore un-noticed shapes and structures that COULD be zipped but aren\u2019t. Forked tree limbs, bipod street lights, anything that conforms to a Y-shape (don\u2019t get cheeky now)\u2026 just zip it! Benoit Lemoine<\/a> has made somewhat of an artistic career for himself being the Banksy of Zipperdom, an odd avocation if there ever was but hey \u2013 someone\u2019s gotta do it.<\/p>\n

\"\"(images via: Stupid.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n

A variation on the zipper tape Lemoine chooses to use is Popped Zipper Tape, which makes your parcel, package, briefcase or whatever look like it, well, popped a zipper.<\/p>\n

Karen L. Davidson\u2019s Zipper Mosaics<\/h4>\n

\"\"(images via: Zipper Mosaics by Karen L. Davidson<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Winters are long & cold up in Minot, ND, and residents have come up with some interesting ways to avoid cabin fever, snow blindness and the like. One of the coolest (sorry) ways to get through those frigid months \u2013 the ones with an R in them \u2013 is Original Zipper Art as practiced and promulgated by Karen L. Davidson<\/a>. From pins to plates to Christmas Trees and more, Davidson knows how to make a zipper do tricks that\u2019ll bust your buttons.<\/p>\n

\"\"(images via: Zipper Mosaics by Karen L. Davidson<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Davidson takes advantage of the wildly diverse color palette bestowed upon today\u2019s plastic, polyester and metal zippers by manufacturers, thus avoiding messy paints and volatile solvents. A bonus is that the colors are either baked on or mixed into the zippers\u2019 substrates. Designed to be long lasting from the start, Davidson\u2019s zippers do the same for her art!<\/p>\n

Zipping Across The Ocean<\/h4>\n

\"\"(images via: Asiajin<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Japanese artist Yasuhiro Suzuki set out to make a big impress ion at the 2010 Setouchi International Art Festival, and one would have to agree his zany zipper motorboat<\/a> helped him succeed in spades. Suzuki must have noticed that the long, radiating wakes left by boats on smooth water look a lot like zippers unzipping\u2026 well, somewhat. In any case, inspiration led to construction and the result was the world\u2019s only Zipper Motorboat. Here\u2019s a short video of Suzuki unzipping Neptune\u2019s fly:<\/p>\n

Zipper Motorboat at SIAF 2010, via Shumiyama<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"(image via: Funny-Potato<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Zippers: where would clothing (and zany art) be without them? Buttons and Velcro have their good points but zippers are faster than buttons and they make a cool sound; not that painful ripping sound that so irritated Morty Seinfeld and doubtless many others. The Art of the Zipper simply completes the zipper\u2019s long interaction with modern society by meshing the functional with the creative. Not much more to say\u2026 so I\u2019ll zip it.<\/p>\n

(from weburbanist<\/a>)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

All praise the zipper: the ubiquitous, maintenance-free, no muss, no fuss fastener that trumps both buttons and Velcro! Zippers operate smoothly, silently and safely day in and day out, often in close proximity to our most sensitive bodily parts yet they rarely \u2013 \u201cThere\u2019s Something About Mary\u201d excepted \u2013 cause us anxiety or grief. These […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,24],"tags":[35,28],"class_list":["post-3988","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-journal","category-photo","tag-art","tag-weburbanist"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tokao.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3988","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tokao.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tokao.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tokao.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tokao.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3988"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tokao.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3988\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tokao.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3988"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tokao.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3988"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tokao.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3988"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}