A life less ordinary.

Adventure

Answers and Artforms in Nature

Botanical design has always been something that’s fascinated me along with hundreds of designers through the ages. These days however botanical design is much more than simply botanical illustrations. We look to nature to solve some of the most important problems of our time.

Arguably the single most important pioneer in this area had to be German Biologist Ernst Haeckel. Driven by tragic failures in love that colored his view of life Haeckel’s portfolio, first published in 1899 illustrate his approach of the “unity of all living things” and the wide variety of forms are executed with utmost delicacy.

Haeckel’s influences are clear in work of French Artist Émile Gallé who worked in glass, and is considered to be one of the major forces in the French Art Nouveau movement, as well as German photographer and Sculptor Karl Blossfeldt who is best known for his close-up photos of plants.

These days, other designers like Ross Lovegrove is so well known for looking toward nature to create amazing structures like the Solar Trees below (TED Talk on “The power & beauty of organic design“.)

But these days Haeckel’s work brings new meaning to other groups, including fellow biologists, scientists, and corporates. Biologist Janine Benyus helps corporates solve problems through nature. In a recent TED talk, she discusses 12 sustainable design ideas from nature in particular, one problem in technology – Self assembly without Carcinogens. Silicon is part of the carcinogenic problem in manufacturing of our chips, where through mimickry a biomineralisation process can actually result in Bio Silicon from organic silicates.

Janine is so right when she says that the biggest design challenge of our time is to find a way to do what we do without destroying the place that we live in.

Life creates conditions conducive to life.
Janine Benyus

Finding inspiration first-hand

In a new move this year I have decided to find more inspiration from the things I experience first-hand every day. I believe that with the access to vast resources we have these days, the first thing we do when we need inspiration is head online to one of our trusty resources. We do this almost to the extent where we live our own lives by proxy.

To start this off, here are some shots of things which inspired me on my recent trip to the UK.

Late Start to P52

This morning I’m inspired by Project 52. I have always found it tricky to keep to a posting schedule, however this year I’m determined to wing it. I think a lot of the success of this project could lie in the support we could lend to one another and in doing so acting as a global motivational group.

Food for thought – Majority

“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”

Mark Twain
November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910

The Art of Travel

I found this book super inspiring, complete with a gem quote, “Journeys are the midwives of thought”