Oddity Central

Human Motorcycles Made from Body-Painted Yoga Gurus

Posted: 22 Oct 2012 02:51 AM PDT

To promote the upcoming Progressive International Motorcycle Show, advertising and branding studio i.d.e.a. created a series of human motorcycles from the contorted bodies of yoga experts and circus performers.

We’ve seen impressive body-painting and displays of yoga skills before, but these human motorcycles are in a category of their own. ”We sought to combine the art of the motorcycle with true art, thereby elevating the ads to something people would want to look at, enjoy, and share,” i.d.e.a. said about their unique project, and they’ve certainly achieved their goal. Photos and posters of their creations have gone viral on the Internet, and for good reason – they are simply spectacular. They employed the talents of professional body painted Trina Mery to turn a team of yoga experts, circus performers and flexible dancers into a speed bike, cruiser, and dirt bike to be ridden by the Progressive International Motorcycle Show’s host, Erin Bates. They did such a good job that in some photos you can’t even tell she’s just riding a bunch of people, not a real motorcycle.

The speed bike, cruiser, and dirt bike took 18, 15 and 13.5 hours to make and as you can imagine, it took a lot of stretching to get the “components” into just the right position. In case you’re wondering about their physical comfort, it’s worth noting there were two massage therapists on set at all times. And considering the flexible participants in the project had to hold a specific pose from between 10 seconds to two minutes, I’m sure massages were a welcome reward.

via Business Insider

Human Motorcycles Made from Body-Painted Yoga Gurus was originally posted at OddityCentral.com

Awesome Starry Night Mural Made from over 1,000 Doorknobs

Posted: 22 Oct 2012 01:43 AM PDT

David Goldberg, the owner of a hardware store in Bethesda, Maryland, decided to repurpose his extensive collection of doorknobs and other door accessories by using them to recreate Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night.

It’s crazy how many people choose this specific artwork to unleash their artistic talents. So far, we’ve featured all kinds of Starry Night recreations, from a quilled version, to one made with spices and food colorings, and even an edible replica made from delicious bacon. This time we have another original version created from over 1,250 collected doorknobs. As a hardware store owner, David Goldberg put together an impressive collection of American and imported doorknobs and other door accessories, and instead of throwing them away, selling them for scrap or melting them he, decided to recycle them in a very artistic fashion and create a unique advertisement for his business at the same time. It took him four months, but he managed to build an amazing large-scale mural depicting Van Gogh’ famous Starry Night. Now people passing by his store in Bethesda, stop and stare at the glistening work of art, in awe of his original repurposing idea.

The Bethesda store owner, who is now often referred to as David Van Go-berg, used bright brass door plates to recreate the towering figure in Van Gogh’s masterpieces, clear crystal doorknobs for the whispy clouds, while thick brass handles and doorknobs make up the moon and stars. Because this is an outdoor art installation, Van Go-berg made sure it would resist harsh weather conditions for a long time. After painting the PVC background of his mural he coated it in a special primer to resist the elements, and even bolted the handles and doorknobs into place. His work of art has been acknowledged as a local icon not only by passers-by, but also by local authorities who installed a set of benches in front of Goldberg’s hardware store, so people can sit down and take in the awesomeness of the doorknob Starry Night mural.