Fat: Bio-Diesel

Human fat to be a new bio-diesel fuel? There are pages and pages of this all over the internet - I wonder if there are any books. Articles about human fat being sold on the black market for crazy amounts of money, though I suspect this is just chinese whispers of some sort!

The bio-diesel thing however, is true. There is a plastic surgeon who has tested a gallon of human fat against a gallon of diesel and it's as effective, although I think it's pretty illegal at the moment. This is the article. Chug chug!


Sinix, a Korean medical modelling company (makes models for training purposes for doctors and such), has manufactured a "Very soft Fat model with a realistic response to Human Fat". This can be seen below:

I'd like to know what this was made out of, so I could work something using "fat" without actually throwing up from the smell etc. Intrafit is another company who makes and sells the simulated models, and if you have a look at the website, you can see the different ways these have been created. Still, having searched the site there's no answer as to how they've done it.

Ooo. I'm blind, this is what it says they're made of:

"Made of pliable, long-lasting vinyl plastic and  have a profound memorable effect when handed to a client."

My ideas so far are:
- Silicone (the only non-household one)
- Wax
- Jelly
- Plastecine
- Clay

...And I'm working on the ideas still. Though there are a few 'Out-There' things floating around.


What I realllly want to know, is if there is anything I can do with fat?


Is it malleable in any way? Can it be heated.. moulded, liquidated.. Ermmm... And, i suppose, what happens to it as a result of those things? Questions....



I've just found this amazing company, called Dirty Ass Soaps they use vegan methods to create amazing soaps, I had to give them a second look before believing they were just soaps! They say:

"Our claim to fame is taking what would be a boring bar of soap and turning it into a frickin' masterpiece."

And I think I'd have to agree with them.. Now, thinking large-scale and relating it to my project, it could be another medium for experiment! Here are some examples:

1. From the Fight Club dvd cover!


2. Cupcake soap - It even smells like a real cupcake!! Wow..


3. Shot Glass soaps...
 

These designs have opened my mind up again, I could potentially make the 'fat' or even fashion piece out of many materials... Hmm..

Issue: Fast Food

I am very interested in the food industry and it's affect on the population as a whole. Fast food seems to have become a way of life and in some cases an addiction to the salt, grease and additives. Society is faced with fast food advertising everyday with 'sexy' ad campaigns by skinny women. The reality however is so much different. I'm interested in finding a way to exploit this issue and disgust people through imagery, a product, short film or another form of media.

This disgusting ad hosted by youtube was televised in NYC by the government in an attempt to shock, disgust and change peoples attitudes to fast food. It actually made me heave when I saw it; prepare yourself:


I like the way the facts have been simply presented to the audience, with the images of fat - which I'm sure nobody wants to see. On the same website (Link!) there are other similar ads with images of fat pouring out of a fizzy drink bottle, and a large version of Barbie:




Here is the article about Barbie, it explains that there is work trying to combat obesity, but todays youth has no interest and likes the taste of the fast food. I understand what they are saying by using Barbie - that this is the image kids aspire to, but would they aspire to her new, fat image? However, I don't think it's execution was right.

Everyone I know learnt this song (video below) at school or some form of club, this pop group aimed the song at primary school children, and at no more than 7 years old their brains are sponges soaking up information. Therefore, these children are being brainwashed. If there is to be any change in peoples attitudes it needs to happen at young ages, Jamie Oliver has taken a stand and campaigned to give children healthy foods, which can be found on his website.


The most disgusting 'fact' I found is that there is enough grease in 10 burgers to create a massive painting of the mona lisa, watch the video below to find out how:


I have found some good ways of packaging healthy food. They are packaged to look like something else, have a look:





These images were found on thedieline website, this 'series of food packaging [was] created from the observations on personal behaviors' of society. Daizi Zheng likes to challenge peoples preconceptions, and she has created this project based on stereotypes and others of a similar nature.
I found a brilliant video on cooking with unexpected ingredients using flash animation and skilled camerawork, I love the different medias available when exploring ideas and hope to generate weird ideas; hopefully not as strange as Thai art student Kittiwat Unarrom:




Thai art student: Body pieces. (Don't worry, it's made out of bread! Honest!)


If you're interested there is a 'making of' video here: Video
Or, an article about the artist here: Article

Initial and developing research

I have gathered a fair amount of research in terms of 'offbeat design' - design which isn't the considered the 'norm'. It's become apparent that this element is necessary for me to feel excited by the project. After all of the preliminary research, I have narrowed the areas of interest to Fast Food and Fashion (and all the things to do with those categories).

I like the work of Asile Paris and the way issues are highlighted through digital manipulation such as their work to do with Aids. Two pictures below show a terrible visual of how aids can affect you - through sex. Illustrating that you don't necessarily know who you are sleeping with. I like the shock factor these pictures have to them and would like to do a project in a similar way.



Here is an ad highlighting the poverty issue, taking something we use everyday and take for granted. Then playing with digital manipulation and scale to get the message across:





















Focusing more on the Fashion category, I decided to do some more research and found a wide variety of images, the first of which are from a website called Carousel, and the article I'm focusing on is called Blablabla... The article says:

 "In their BLABLABLA-collection the objects have been placed a little bit out of context, and in that way it becomes the perfect accessorise with a little bit of a social comment."

Here are some images I particularly like, please look at the Carousel link for the picture explanations:

1. There is an attachment to the belt (the gold plate) which says size zero - questioning how women perceive themselves and the pressure women are under to stay thin.


2. A business card holder to be used as a fashion accessory, for those who are workaholics and cannot put their mind at ease. Highlighting an issue that we are increasingly becoming work-obsessed.




3. And my personal favorite, the gold plate which reads 'max 20 kg'. This is an impossibly low weight for any woman, and this shows just how ridiculous women's obsession with weight is; even though we still obsess over it.



Having done this preliminary research on advertising and fashion, I will stick with the absurd and impossible issues surrounding it, hopefully finding a shocking / interesting way to highlight the issue in question.