They’re called “Gravity Stools”, and far from being disgorged by a HP Lovecraft abomination after a night of beer and bad curries, these ferro-plastic oddities are the work of Dutch designer Jólan van der Wiel. Curious? No problem — Jólan’s been kind enough to make a clip showing exactly how they’re made.
The process itself is quite simple — a tub of liquid plastic containing magnetised filings is placed under strong magnets, themselves attached to a special “press”. The magnets are lowered to be just above the tub, before being pulled back. This motion creates the feet and “legs” of the stool. Once the desired shape is reached, the materials take about 30 minutes to harden.
I’d love a few for the lounge room. Even if no one was willing to let one caress their cheeks, it’d make a great conversation starter. I’d be wary of sitting on one myself — given how they were created, I’m a bit suspicious of their structural integrity. I imagine there’s plenty of trial and error involved, as the process seems very organic and at the mercy of natural forces.
A video of the startling process can be found below.
Gravity Stool [Jólan van der Wiel, via DVICE]
Images: Jólan van der Wiel.