New York-based artist Sam Keller has an interesting practice, one that is quite fitting with the surge in grocery shopping since the start of the global pandemic. The designer often draws inspiration from the aisles at the grocery market these days, creating intricate food sculptures like the 'Cheetosphere' which "only takes two large bags (of Cheetos)." A more glamour-filled project for Sam Keller, however, is the Swarovski-adorned crushed cans.
From Modelo and La Croix to Coca-Cola and Sunkist, these pieces of art by Sam Keller capture attention and make for quite the collectible luxury objects. The juxtaposition between precious cargo (as denoted by the crystals) and the trashiness of a can after it has been emptied is surely alluring to the human eye, trying to decipher value.
Crystal-Adorned Crushed Cans
Sam Keller Glamorizes Food Products and Packaging
Trend Themes
1. Luxury Recycling - Incorporating high-end materials to repurpose discarded items into luxurious collectibles offers an innovative approach to sustainable art.
2. Grocery-inspired Design - Exploring the visual aesthetics of grocery products and packaging for creative and artistic inspiration presents an opportunity for disruption in the design industry.
3. Value Perception Play - Manipulating the perceived value of an object through unexpected materials or presentation creates a new category of goods ripe for disruption in the marketing and luxury industries.
Industry Implications
1. Sustainable Art - The incorporation of high-end materials into repurposed objects could disrupt the market for sustainable art, offering a more luxurious option for collectors.
2. Design - Exploring the visual and structural design potential of grocery products and packaging could lead to disruptive innovations in packaging design, product design, or advertising.
3. Marketing and Luxury Goods - Using unexpected materials or presentation to manipulate the perceived value of goods offers a novel approach to disruption in product marketing, especially in the luxury goods industry.