We all want to make a good first impression then leave a mark when we’re done, particularly when it comes to a labor of love, and what better way than with this custom-designed hammer?

This device turned an off-the-shelf hammer into a lovely gift for that special someone by “using the industrial mold-making technique of electro-erosion (EDM),” explains its creator, Dog Ganchrov (images by Moti Fishbain).

The “steel hammering head has been reshaped into a heart, and the hammer has been transformed into a tool for leaving a mark” when you’re hard (or heart?) at work.

“Anything struck by it will now have a signature ‘heart’ shape indented on it,” he explains, “be it a tree, wall or hood of an ex-lovers car. The hammer is a tool for constructing but it can also destroy.”

And anyone who has worked with a hammer knows that even the best and most experienced folks can mess up from time to time, missing the mark or slipping off the head of a nail — but it usually just leaves a semi-circle.

This so-called Love/Hate Thing evolved from the idle musings of its maker: “Is the urge to leave a mark a curse or blessing? How much of a mark? How much of [our] selves? How much of a mark on the ecological system, cultural trend, design students, human well-being?” It is on display at the Periscope Gallery in Tel-Aviv.

Looking for love in all the right places? Replicas of artist Robert Indiana’s iconic Pop Art “LOVE” sculpture have spread to the 4 corners of the globe.

Robert Indiana (formerly Robert Clark) first expressed the essential iconography of “LOVE” in 1958 but it wasn’t until 1964 that the image garnered wide public notice, via a Christmas card commissioned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. One of the first three-dimensional LOVE sculptures has stood, since 1970, in front of the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

Like many metal artworks designed to stand out in the open, the IMA’s LOVE sculpture is made from Cor-ten steel, an alloy that weathers to a rich, slightly iridescent, purplish-brown patina after years of seasonal changes. The sculpture measures 12′ x 12′ x 6′ and has recently undergone a structural and aesthetic restoration.

I LOVE New York

There are currently around 50 LOVE sculptures installed in public and private spaces worldwide. Some are better-known than others, mainly due to their proximity to pedestrian traffic. One of the first NYC LOVE sculptures was installed at 59th Street and 5th Avenue in 1971, while perhaps the most prominent NYC LOVE sculpture stands at the corner of 6th Avenue and 55th Street in Manhattan. Kudos to Flickr users Chee917 and Robert Wright (wrightrkuk), who snapped the sculpture in 2012.

LOVE Is Blue

Most of the world’s LOVE sculptures have red painted facades with blue or blue & green sides to match Indiana’s original MOMA card and popular USPS stamp. This isn’t a must, however, as Indiana famously neglected to properly copyright the work. This bright blue representation outside 1445 West Georgia Street in Vancouver, Canada (later moved) shares its blue & green color scheme with another LOVE sculpture located at the Park Mall in Singapore.

Reflections of LOVE

Photographer Wassily from nl brings us the striking scene above. Featuring a large LOVE sculpture set into the reflecting pool outside the Langen Foundation’s main building in Neuss-Holzheim, Germany, the photo dates from 2005 shortly after the building opened.

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3d Four Letter Words Robert Indianas Love Sculptures

All around the world, lovers have unique ways of showing their affection for one another. But few are as sweet and enduring as the act of locking a couple’s love with a padlock and throwing away the keys. Love padlocks can be seen adorning walls, fences, chains, bridges and even lampposts throughout much of the world – and each one of them represents the undying adoration of a couple in love.

The love lock tradition is thought to have originated in China, where lovers would write their names or initials on a padlock, lock it to a permanent public fixture, and throw the keys into a river so the two lovebirds could never be parted.

Since the first couple symbolically secured their relationship in this way, other love padlock walls have popped up in cities and towns all over the planet, though most tend to be concentrated in Europe and Asia. When padlocks began to take over public spots in Pécs, Hungary, the local government was forced to officially designate one specific spot as a “love lock” wall to prevent the locks from taking over the entire city.

Although the idea behind love locks remains constant, the practice varies from one place to the next. In some countries, love locks are placed by newlyweds on their wedding day to secure their love for a lifetime. In others, the locks are placed by couples in love (but not necessarily married) to bring good luck to the relationship. Some locations offer bins in which to deposit the keys, while other couples elect to toss their keys into a body of water where they will never be found.

At the above fountain in Montevideo, Uruguay, a plaque encourages lovers to write their initials on a lock and attach it to the fence. According to the legend referenced by the plaque, the lovers will return to the fountain and their love will be sealed forever.

The relatively new custom probably originated in the 1980s, though many lock lock locations have only popped up in the last five years. Although local officials in cities which embrace love locks are unfailingly annoyed at the practice, couples don’t seem deterred by this minor detail. They continue to display their fidelity with this adorably amorous habit that binds two souls for life.

(all images via: locksmiths-r-us)