Once we move from childhood to adulthood, playfulness seems to take a back seat to responsibility. Many of us lose that sense of wonder and fun that makes all of our daily activities seem wondrous. Two recent UK public art projects have used absurdity to inject a sense of wonder and fun back into the daily lives of people who pass by the Big Screens in Liverpool and Edinburgh.

Hand From Above was the name of the project that appeared in Liverpool. The BBC Big Screen was the setting for Chris O’Shea’s work that featured a live feed of pedestrians walking by in the square. As they went about their daily routines, a giant hand on the screen reached out to poke, prod, tickle and toss their likenesses.

Hand from Above from Chris O’Shea on Vimeo.

With a distinct Monty Python flavor, the project encouraged passers-by to slow down, have fun, and maybe even pay attention to the world around them rather than drifting through their day without a thought. After spending four days in Liverpool in 2009, the Hand From Above moved to Cardiff for another few days.

Hand From Above used a CCTV camera along with specialized software that chose “victims” based on a number of factors. Once the software identified who it wanted to pick on, it then used a complex series of motions to make the giant hand interact with the images of pedestrians on the giant screen. Just about everyone who saw the display laughed and stopped to watch, proving that even commuters on their way to work or shoppers in the middle of their tasks can spare a few moments for fun.

Another Big Screen project used a new technique to replace viewers’ heads with the heads of cartoon monsters and animals. Created by Hudson-Powell, Joel Gethin Lewis and Bren O’Callaghan, Hungry Hungry Eat Head occupied the Big Screen in Edinburgh.

Hungry Hungry Eat Head from Bren O’Callaghan on Vimeo.

As in the Hand From Above, a live camera streamed images of pedestrians from the square in front of the Big Screen, but this time the viewers were willing and knowledgeable participants. They were given cardboard markers to hold up when they were in view of the camera, and the software then took over to replace their human heads with fun cartoon visages and abstract monstrous faces.

Because there was no clear goal in the activity, participants simply focused on having fun. They adopted fun personalities to go along with their new heads, lumbering around like monsters or dancing in place. The Big Screen, then, became a sort of magic mirror, with participants interacting with their own suddenly goofy reflections.

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Many think steampunk is a fad that will flare up and burn itself out quickly, as most fads do. If steampunk fans’ willingness to permanently ink themselves with steampunk themed tattoos is any indication, the appeal of steampunk will be lasting a lot longer than expected. From the simplest clockwork and gears, to complex depictions of Victorian era mecha, steampunk tattoos run the gamut from pretty decorations to mobile masterpieces. Here are 9 of the most intricate and gorgeous examples of steampunk style body art:

(Images via nickbaxter, jockeyjournal, kungdesign)

The melding of technology with nature is a common theme in steampunk, as the dream of Victorian technology is to create a cleanly powered utopia much different from the sooty, chugging urban areas of the time. There is no better way to display the melding of nature and machine than by displaying a gorgeous steampunk octopus, or the more symbolic lightbulb and skull pictured above. Another popular design is the mechanical arm, where one can become part machine, at least, visually.

(Images via acemicaylak, fatmeatisgreasy)

Some people like to make themselves resemble machines in a more visually arresting manner, via the appearance of torn skin mistakenly revealing the clockwork components within. The realism of these depictions can be stunningly three dimensional in appearance. These tattoos aren’t for the faint of heart, as they tend to upset the squeamish viewer, and require countless hours under the needle.

(Images via bodyartmaster, esper.art.br)

Clocks are a major symbol of the steampunk genre because of their intricate, scientific nature, and the fact that they manage to overcome their fragility by managing to work hour after hour, day after day. The endless variety of clock designs and their classy appearance allow one to express their aesthetic without shocking the casual observer.

(Images via brassgoggles, audramelissa, industrytattoo, livewodeadtime, steampunkfashion)

As the foundation piece for the steampunk aesthetic, cogs and gears are present in nearly every steampunk tattoo. Some individuals would rather stick with the core of steampunk by creating complicated scenes filled entirely with intricate machine parts. These are the purists.

(Images via stresslines, about, vnboards, techyum, miguelangel)

Not everyone goes for the literal symbols of the steampunk movement; they choose instead to come up with more intricate designs that manage to display their loyalties through a Victorian style, rather than the less subtle clockwork machines. Steampunk is about science, so anything ornate but functional will do the trick.

(Images via ectomo, aaronthestrong, theshadowbox)

Bio mechanical tattoos have always been popular, but there’s been a surge in the number of steam driven organs appearing on arms and chests across the nation. When you truly take the antique beauty of steampunk to heart, you might as well display it… as a heart. With pumps, gauges, and valves, the clockwork heart is both fragile and consistent in fulfilling its duties.

(Images via woodspindle, checkoutmyink)

Robots are appealing in any genre, but there’s an added beauty to the uniqueness of the Victorian machine. Due to the labor involved in creating a robot from oiled gears and heavy steel, there’s an individuality to every steampunk robot that lends itself to ink. Lurching metal behemoths with giant rivets, and clouds of billowing steam are always a classic.

(Images via vi.sualize.us, nyquildriver)

Shoulders are often overlooked as potential canvases, but they are a great location for a large and yet easily concealable tattoo. With so much area to work with, tattoo artists can delve into details that would never be able to make it into a tattoo on a forearm, or even a bicep.

(Images via dangerousdeedee, checkoutmyink, tattoosartgallery)

Flight is an important aspect of the steampunk genre; whether you be on a gently floating airship, or swiftly climbing on clockwork wings, the intricacy of steampunk flight, plus the danger of soaring so high in the sky, creates an oddly compelling combination. Clockwork wings turn the angel wing cliche into something quite a bit more interesting, and the old favorite sparrow becomes a unique piece of art when it’s made clear it’s mechanical.

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It’s the 21st century – so why are printers still so bulky, ugly and wasteful? The time is ripe for printers that fit into the world of iPods, cell phones and paper-thin computers, and concept designers are stepping up to the plate with incredible visions of the future. Tiny stick printers that can go anywhere, printers that use pencil stubs or even coffee dregs in lieu of ink cartridges, printers that can erase and reuse paper. Some designs go further still, transcending mere ink to produce three-dimensional objects and even food.

Printing with a Pencil Stub

(images via: yanko design)

The problem with printers is, if you make a mistake, there’s no way to erase it. You simply have to start all over again, wasting both ink and a sheet of paper. So why not use graphite instead? This creative printer concept by Hoyoung Lee does that and more, using the nubs of old pencils that would otherwise be thrown away and even offering a built-in eraser for the second go ‘round.

Pencil Printer II

(images via: yanko design)

The built-in eraser function in the first design is ditched in this reworking by Hoyoung Lee, Seunghwa Jeong & Jin-young Yoon, making the printer a lot more compact. Sure, erasing by hand is more work, but you can do a more thorough job on your own anyway.

Printing with Colored Pens

(images via: yanko design)

Nobody likes buying printer cartridges, and it seems like we go through them so quickly. So it’s nice to see innovation that drains the last drops of ink out of colored ball point pens as a supplement to regular printer ink. The design may not work as-is, since ballpoint ink tends to be thick, but it’s an interesting idea.

Printing with Tea Dregs

(images via: core 77)

Coffee and tea are loaded with pigment and in fact often used as dye, so it makes sense to use them as a natural, free, recycled form of ink. This printer would allow users to place coffee or tea dregs into an ink case, eliminating the need to constantly purchase costly cartridges.

Scan-and-Draw Pen Creates Customized Ink

(images via: dornob)

A printer, scanner and pen in one? This pen makes it possible to write with any color from practically any object you can find, scanning the color and reproducing it from RGB ink cartridges. The design obviously has its limitations, considering the small size of the ink cartridges, but it’s an absolute dream for artists and could be useful for a range of everyday needs as well.

StickPop Printer is Ultra-Portable

(image via: ubergizmo)

Remember the days when we were all chained to our desks while on the computer or talking on the phone? Gadgets are going portable in ways we never thought possible a decade or two ago, so why not printers too? The StickPop printer concept is battery-operated, prints via USB cable and is small enough to fit in your laptop bag.

PrePeat Rewritable Printer Uses No Ink

(image via: engadget)

The PrePeat takes all of the above concepts and goes one step further: eliminating paper from the equation. This eco-friendly printer uses special paper made of PET plastic that can reportedly be used up to 1,000 times each. The printer, which uses no ink or toner, automatically clears used sheets and reprints. It’s a cool idea, but the cost is definitely prohibitive for now at $5,600.

Mini Giant: Crawling Robotic Large-Scale Printer

(image via: core 77)

Want to print absolutely anything, anytime, anywhere? The combination of ZINK paper, which has colored dye crystals embedded in it, and the “Mini Giant” crawling printer can produce practically anything – even large-scale posters. The Mini Giant propels itself across a piece of ZINK paper to create a print using heat-based technology.

Self-Replicating 3D Printer

(images via: dornob)

If you have even the slightest fear of computers taking over the world, this self-replicating 3D printer may be fodder for your nightmares.  The RepRap can manufacture complex three-dimensional objects… including copies of itself. But, Terminator implications aside, this thing is pretty cool: it turns your home office into a mini factory by simply downloading plans and then molding bars of plastic into various household goods.

Using a Printer to Make… Food?

(images via: dornob)

Considering that some printers can replicate, it’s not too crazy to imagine 3D printers that can cook and assemble food at the push of a button. Some futuristic food printer concepts imagine gadgets loaded with ingredients that can be whipped up into practically anything imaginable, though it probably wouldn’t taste much like the food we enjoy today.

This Printer Concept is Toast

(images via: dornob)

When it comes to printing on toast, many of us ask “why?” but just as many respond “why not?” While toasting a design onto bread is pretty impractical, it definitely makes this boring breakfast staple a little bit more fun. While the ‘Zuse’ toast printer (top) is more about form, the roller toaster is actually functional. It doesn’t print an image on the bread, but works like a printer, passing a piece of bread from one side to the other.

Taking Printers on the Road

(image via: yanko design)

If printers can create designs on paper, why not change up the surface? Road workers could get a lot more done by letting this solar-powered Road Printer do most of the work with pre-programmed templates and a jet-spray paint cartridge that moves from side-to-side between the wheels.

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Star Trek has been an ongoing phenomenon since its debut in 1966. Star Trek consists of 2 series on the USS Enterprise, 3 spin offs, an animated series, and 11 feature films. A franchise this long lasting and successful creates a loyal following that is interested in anything related to the series. Whether it’s Star Trek clothing, home decor, or tattoos, there are a plethora of awesome examples of the fierceness of Star Trek fans. From the fantastic to the ridiculous, here are 10 of the most interesting expressions of Star Trek fanaticism:

(Images via voyageronline, norulesnoshame, mez love, tattoo22)

Star Trek fans explore every means of showing off their passion for the Star Trek universe, and this includes tattoos. A lot of fans pay homage to their favorite characters (or the entire cast) by having portraits placed prominently on themselves, though the more subtle Star Trek fan may simply have a communicator tattooed to their chest.

(Images via trekmovie, walyou)

Even with the advanced technology in Star Trek, exploring the boundaries of space is a dangerous business, and there have been a lot of deaths throughout the series. The funeral rites in the Federation are beautiful and explored in detail. As with all things Star Trek, industrious companies have even learned to capitalize on funeral gear. Futuristic looking urns are available, as well as coffins that look identical to those in the series and films.

(Images via product-reviews, techeblog, gearsandwidgets, reighn)

Everything about the USS Enterprise is graceful and epic, as it is the flagship of the Federation’s fleet, and the pinnacle of human technological achievement. The Star Trek films deserve a fitting viewing space, preferably Star Trek themed. The most common Star Trek home theater design is the bridghe, with its signature sweeping railing and the Captain’s chair.

(Images via neatorama, craziestgadgets, gearlive, geekalerts, geek-tastic, geeky-gadgets)

Life is about the little things, and for the avid Trekkie, this involves USS Enterprise bottle openers, iPhone cases, cakes, pillow cases, car decorations… the list goes on and on. There are a million ways to subtly reveal your loyalty to the Federation.

(Images via clothesmonaut, majorspoilers, ioffer, highsnobiety)

If you’re truly proud to be a Trekkie, you’re not afraid to wear clothing that reflects it. Star Trek ties are a great way to bring your interests to work, while a pair of Spock inspired gloves will keep you showing your loyalties throughout the winter. If you’re on your way to a convention, you can always toss on your Star Trek uniform corset to really catch some nerdy attention.

(Images via boingboing, geek24, makezine, walyou)

Car enthusiasts like to customize their rides, and Star Trek enthusiasts are no different. When you can’t find a Star Trek themed accessory to meet your needs, you might as well make it. Some fans have created iPhone cases that look like the original Star Trek comm units, but the ultimate modification involves changing your main mode of transportation to blare your preferences to the world and brighten up the road.

(Images via feelingstylish, geekologie, geeky-gadgets, movieties)

Formal wear isn’t exempt from Star Trek fervor, with a booming cufflink industry keeping geek-centric companies in business. Several colognes and perfumes have been made, as well as luxurious watches and time pieces. Star Trek inspired jewelry is quite common, and people are willing to pay a high price for the more unique goods.

(Images via product-reviews, funkybachelor, manolo)

Your house is the ultimate expression of your taste and style, where you go to relax, or invite friends over for social activities. You have to be truly fanatical to drastically alter your home decor to reflect the atmosphere of your favorite television show. From illuminated wall displays to the smooth walls and low lighting of the interior of the USS Enterprise, these fans proudly display their Star Trek inspired lifestyle.

(Images via gadgetreview, mydesignpick, gadgether, insidedgw, stylehive)

Star Trek fans are proud geeks who spend a lot of time at their computers. It makes sense, then, that there is such an extensive variety of USB devices that can grace one’s desk. Miniature USS Enterprises, comm unit flash drives, and models of shuttlecraft are just a few examples of Star Trek USB Gadgets. One of the most interesting gadget concepts? A record player shaped like the USS Enterprise.

(Images via geekologie, gadgether, geeky-gadgets, craziestgadgets)

Star Trek commercialization has often gotten out of hand. Star Trek themed sporks, nutcrackers, Russian dolls, and even Eggo waffles seem to cross some line, though they’re pretty humorous now. While Star Trek fans are willing to spend their hard earned money on almost anything Star Trek themed, their are limits (we just haven’t found them yet).

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Steampunk, the aesthetic of Victorian clothing and steam powered technology, is known best for its old timey costumes and eccentric, cog-laden accessories, but there’s a whole side to the movement that’s exploding in popularity: Artwork. The airships with their sky captains, the rumbling, lurching machines of war, and mustachioed heroes with rocket packs provide a plethora of content for any artist. Here are 11 of the best and most intriguing types of steampunk artwork:

(Images via anidea, steampunkscholar, steampunkmagazine)

A large part of the steampunk appeal is the variety of characters and the uniqueness of their clothing, appearance, and behavior. The Airship Captain and his nemesis the Air Pirate… the Soldier of Fortune with a rocket pack… the variety is endless. It’s natural that paintings and digital art would spend a lot of time focusing on these characters and their eccentricities. Bright colors and a lot of movement give these portrait subjects the appearance of swiftness and power.

(Images via boingboing, infinitecoolness, templates, lanalog)

Any sci fi world has to have robots, as they’re a crucial focal point for the examination into humans and technology. With steampunk’s emphasis on pushing the boundaries of technological innovation (albeit via outdated science), the creation of robots is a large factor in the genre. The clockwork, cogs and gears, element makes robots even more interesting because of their apparent fragility and uniqueness.

(Images via cgsociety, omega7red, saintview)

The only thing more fun than a clockwork robot is a clockwork robot hundreds of feet high. As is natural in any scenario that involves brilliant Professors, some of them are bound to be insane and power hungry, and just downright villainous. Whether these lurching colossi were created by an ambitious government power, or a greedy tycoon, they always add excitement to a steampunk tale. Artists have a lot of fun illustrating the destruction these creations can wreak on an urban center.

(Images via steamlords, ottens, mykeamend, phoenixnewtimes)

Airships are one of the staples of steampunk, and their importance to the movement is well represented by the amount of artwork centered on them. Whether they sail through the sky using gigantic Zeppelin style balloons, or are kept aloft by gigantic flapping wings and rotors, they are a stunning visual example of all that’s interesting about the culture, and the technological dream it represents.

(Images via ebsqart, elfwood)

Just as fantasy subcultures have an intense subculture that revolves around cartography, mapping the various lands in fictional universes with beautiful sketches and old style maps, steampunk has schematics of the intricate clockwork machines and attachments that are required in any interesting steampunk tale. Schematics are often beautifully rendered, but they’re also just as often quick entertaining sketches that appear to have sprung out of the mind of some madcap Professor.

(Images via izismile, darkroastedblend, haikubaikou)

As any steampunk world is part of a fictional universe, some artists tend to take the aesthetic into a more abstract direction. They dream of worlds in which animal and machine are combined, or where machines have become so advanced under steam power that they’re as ingrained as cars are in our world.

(Images via peachbeach, brassgoggles, steampunkrings, elfwood)

The prolific inventor and wildly intelligent inventor / gentleman is one of the many character types that are popular in costuming and art. The combination of old style stateliness with action and wild accessories lend an interesting duality to these characters.

(Images via myfreewallpapers, ubersuper, cghub, commissioned, ottens)

Victorian landscapes and visions of classic city centers is always beautiful. When you add the steampunk aesthetic, these landscapes can transcend what is truly possible and become utopian (or extremely industrial). The steampunk emphasis on machines and technology allow artists to incorporate incredibly interesting elements into what would otherwise be a mundane cityscape.

(Images via ottens, brassgoggles, drikoland)

Star Wars has leaked into nearly every subculture since its premiere in 1977, and steampunk is no exception. While many artists concentrate on creating costumes for Stormtroopers and Darth Vader that represent steam technology, there are also plenty of painters and digital artists who have taken a stab at this famous trilogy and its characters.

(Images via aj-concepts, gaiaonline, darkroastedblend, streettech)

Transportation is a fun element in any steampunk fiction. Pneumatic tubes, incredibly fast railroad cars, and powered bicycles are just some examples of the shaky steam powered vehicles that are common. The only requirement is that they be groundbreaking for the story’s period, and that they break down often, but can always be repaired on the go, and are always able to kick back into action when a second’s delay would have meant doom.

(Images via thegeekcouch, pinkkryptonite, forbiddenplanet, conceptart)

Any fiction includes war, but steampunk fiction adds new twists, with even more exotic ways for nations to butt heads. Flying ships, napalm, rocket packs, tanks and robots, all add to the variety of troops and machines that can be sent against one’s enemies. In some fiction nations fight in the old style, with alternating volleys of steam powered muskets and rocket barrages, but in most tales, it becomes much messier. Giant war machines are typically at the center of any big battle, and they add an intimidating visual element to steampunk artwork.

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