1. It's beautiful and innovative. 2. It's going to look terrible with one year (UV degradation and water spoilage, leaks, evaporation, etc.). 3. I would hate it my neighbor built one where I could see it.

Just wow!

I can't figure out what all the strings are tied to. Also, I think Rural and Rueful is right about it looking awful a year from now.

Well it's different. I suppose the worst that can happen is - he has to take it down in a year and build another.

Some of these posts remind me an encounter I once had with a grocery clerk when I was buying a flat of flowers for our garden. She said, "Oh, I HATE flowers! I can't even touch them. They're so icky. They just sit there and DIE!"
Which, is of course, quite true. But as with the gorgeous art work made of upcycled bottles, why not just enjoy this wonderful creation for as long as it lasts? Beauty doesn't have to be enduring, beauty just IS!
Flanders

I COMPLETELY agree Juliabren. This is a stunning piece but, nothing lasts forever. Why not just enjoy it while it lasts and stop harping on it's demise?

Art installations by their very nature are often temporary. This is a beautiful idea well executed. It has a very magical quality to me.

AT has certainly declined over the years, and not just in the quality and originality of blog posts. The "comment" community has followed suit. I remember the early days when regular posters (I recall a Patrick The Other One...did he go on to start his own blog?) were courteous even when they disagreed. Some even took the time to be funny, even kind. The threads were actually moderated so childish trolls were kicked off.

It's a pity to see things have fallen so far. And I actually thought the porn thing was an anomaly!

Oh that Patrick The Other One was so funny. What ever happened to him.

... you guys know that p(too) is an AT blogger now, don't you?

He's the loquacious/verbose one. There's only 1 patrick if you look on the "our team" page, so you can't miss him. He sometimes pops up in comments, I think under his old moniker.

I agree with RURAL AND RUEFUL.

@WMJR I would like to see your installation art. As an artisticaly gifted art critic I am thinking you are full of yourself.

Patrick does have a blog: http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/

I was thinking that this would be kind of awesome above outdoor seating for a restaurant or cafe. I wonder if sunlight shining through it casts colored shadows like stained glass?

When art wants to be something functional as well as beautiful (or thought-provoking or controversial or whatever) then it can't opt-out of being judged by those criteria.

Or, indeed, by any other criteria the viewer/experiencer cares to hold it up to.

Is being critical or someone who is being critical somehow superior? I think not. Pot and kettle...

Oh, and I like the look of this device in the pictures, but learning the details really turned me off, too. Its ephemeral nature doesn't add to its attractiveness, FOR ME. I find it not functional.... = disfunctional.

Agreed with all the comments regarding comments; there are some really immature and rude comments that manage to stay posted, but then there are also some commenters who don't seem to want to see anything posted that's remotely critical.

Critical comments that are constructive or offer a piece of information or a new way of looking at things are useful.For example, in the Banquette post today, someone said that banquettes are difficult to clean. That is good information for people who love the look. Criticism that offers specific feedback about specific things (like the banquette comment) is helpful to those reading and advances the conversation. Reading a whole range of opinions about something often leads to an integration that really helpful and informative. This is especially true in the design area, where function and beauty go hand in hand. It would be possible to build a banquette that is easier to clean, if you know that's an issue before designing it.

A constant stream of only positive comments is not useful for anyone.

On the other hand, comments like 'Not my style, I hate it' or 'Why is there so much MCM on AT' really annoy me. They add nothing to the conversation.

And, of course, courtesy is essential.

And, btw, I love this canopy thing and thanks for leading me to Colossal - great website.

Hey all, just wanted to jump in to say that I wrote the piece and was also shocked by the rude comments; they have been removed. I also wanted to say, and this is kind of awkward, that I didn't actually make the above comment attributed to me "Juliabren". It was a friend of mine who was babysitting my kiddos. They were on my computer, saw the post, and wanted to jump in with their perspective. Unfortunately, they were logged in as me. Awkward, indeed. I appreciate their intent, but wanted to clarify that I, as the author of this piece, am all for a colorful discussion regarding art. I spent quite a few years working at art museums and fully appreciate healthy debate surrounding works of art. I just wanted to clarify, as my intent was to share something with all of you, and never to spark a thread of negative feelings. On with the debate ;)

It looks awesome, but my problem with ANYTHING made from or "up-cycled" from water bottles is the water bottle itself. I can see using them for "emergency" situations like hydrating when spending a day outdoors or something, when properly recycled afterward. But they are so NOT eco-friendly and are so totally filling the landfills and messing up the oceans... I can't help but think of that, so that undermines my appreciation of this and similar pieces.

Such a small portion of these comments actually deals with the subject of the post---a genuinely imaginative and inventive piece of recycling art. Amazing! This is why I used to love AT. (And yes, I, too, miss Patrick the Other One. Thanks for the links.) What if the grouchy, insulting, unkind, wretched commentaries that infect AT lately are actually a reflection of our current society?
Woe.

I love it! It's art, it's color, it's whimsical. Great idea and great execution, and a great way to reuse bottles, whether they will last for a year or 10. It's artful and useful, and it is what it is, and that's how it must be looked at.
Everybody that happens to pass by this canopy will for sure remember it long after it's gone.

I don't understand why it wouldn't look good in a year or longer. Plastic takes nearly forever to break down.

I think it's absolutely beautiful.

I think it's amazing. If it popped up in my garden and... if the weather improved...considerably... I'd be tempted to spread a throw and cushions underneath it and laze under it all day long! I've always wanted to do something with the 'flower' end of these bottles so, if I was going to make my own canopy, I'd chop off the ends and recycle/repurpose the rest, colour them with acrylic paints and join them together with wire links.

Thanks for posting this AND for introducing me to Colossal - I'm now following it!

I really like this: the wave form, the choice of cool colors. I think I would prefer not to see that it's made of bottles, but that's probably part of the piece's message. I wonder if they kept all the bottle's lids on? I wonder if you could have a lightweight piece of plexi or something made to fit over the whole thing? if it ever did get dirty, you could lift off the plexi and hose it out and then refill.

I'm still here! And I'll take "loquacious/verbose" as a compliment. :)

But, Secretagentgirl, I DO think that you can call someone out for being just plain nasty... and you still can keep the moral high ground as you do so.

That said, NO ONE shares stuff here (except for the "Help me with this _______" posts, seeking critique) out of anything OTHER than pride... And there is a difference on posting, "Won't this fall apart in a year?" and "This is going to look like shit in a year."

@patrick (the other one)

Aw, I appreciate you! :)

You could kinda see how "he's the loquacious/verbose one" MIGHT be interpreted as criticism, though, right?