The inescapable cycle of life, death and decay will have its way with us all, and virtually everything else on earth… and while most people find this reality of nature less than pleasant, others seek to magnify and exploit it. Because while decay can certainly be disgusting – as some artists have portrayed with rotting animals – it can also be beautiful, like allowing the sea to etch a pattern into metal.

Dieter Roth

(images via: MOMA)

No collection of decay-themed art would be complete without the inclusion of Dieter Roth, whose entire oeuvre challenged the notion that art is immortal. Bananas, sausage and dung are just a few of the items Roth used to create pieces that blossomed with maggots and mold, falling victim to the relentless cycle of life and death even under the harsh lights of exclusive art galleries. Certainly the bust of chocolate that he made of himself, covered in birdseed and threw into a courtyard as a feast for birds looks very different than it did when he created it.

Dan Dempster

(image via: wikimedia commons)

The sea is a great and mysterious artist, carving rocks and scouring patterns into sunken man-made objects with its relentless tides and currents. Bermuda artist Dan Dempster submerged pieces of steel into the ocean and let it etch patterns into the surface with a rusty, dreamy and utterly aquatic result.

Nathan Slate Joseph

(images via: sundaram tagore gallery)

Many artists whose work is displayed outdoors dread the process of weathering; they lacquer and protect their work as much as possible to defend it against fading, rust, and other hazards of wind and rain. But Nathan Slate Joseph intentionally leaves squares of steel outdoors to “empower nature by allowing it to have a hand in the making of his art.” He even applies acids to facilitate the breakdown of the pigments he applies to each square, letting them age and change naturally before soldering them together into one cohesive piece.

Damien Hirst

(images via: my modern met)

Renowned British artist Damien Hirst is known for making death a central theme in nearly all of his works, the most notable – and controversial – of which being a series made from animal corpses. One work featuring a rotting cow and bull was banned from gallery exhibition by New York public health officials for fear of “vomiting among the visitors”. Another, “A Thousand Years”, consisted of a rotting cow’s head in a glass case, covered in maggots and flies. But not all of Hirst’s dead animals are left to the ravages of nature – some are preserved in formaldehyde, like his iconic (and somehow simultaneously iconoclastic) shark.

Tony Reason

(images via: tonyreason.com)

Rust is a powerful pigment, with its vivid hues of red and orange that it lends to all sorts of metals, whether desired or not. British artist Tony Reason must see a great beauty in rust, because he has made it the center of much of his work: giant metal panels with rust designs and even rust mixed with wax and painted on canvas.

Kathy Kelley

(image via: artslant)

Few artists enjoy being told that their work looks like a bunch of trash – but Kathy Kelley knows that that’s exactly what her sculptures are. Kelley, who holds an MFA in graphic design, turned to “revaluing objects of refuse” with her large-scale found-object sculptures, saying “I am drawn to the symbolic and formal elements of decay, the way in which an object has been altered by its mere existence. The worn, broken, torn nature of the aged object seems to make it more real, more honest. So I collect decayed urban refuse. I hold onto it for awhile. Cogitate. Eventually the formal and symbolic elements of the materials and my current research meld. Then I make.”

Matthew Barney & Elizabeth Peyton

(images via: c-monster)

Take one dead shark a la Damien Hirst, throw in some drawings that have been embellished by the sea over a period of a few months a la Dan Dempster, and you’ve got the strange collaborative project “The Blood of Two” by artists Matthew Barney and Elizabeth Peyton.  Some of Peyton’s nautical-themed drawings were placed in a glass casket which was submerged in the ocean for months; the casket was ceremoniously lifted from the sea and taken on a funeral-like procession to a slaughterhouse where the drawings were removed and replaced with a dead shark. The shark was later served to onlookers. Barney is also known for his performance art videos featuring sculptures made from uncooked tapioca, which were left to decay as they would.

Rosamond Purcell

(images via: zymmogyphic)

Did you ever imagine that a dead fish could be so beautiful? Rosamond Purcell collects such natural and man-made curiosities for her assemblage art, which pays tribute to decay in all forms, from the remains of dead creatures to worm-eaten books and rusted metal. Purcell sources most of her materials at a junkyard in Maine and turns them into art installations, sculptures, collages and other collections as documented in her book Bookworm: The Art of Rosamond Purcell.

Joseph Beuys

(images via: 2thewalls)

Artist Joseph Beuys worked with all sorts of unconventional materials, but they were never randomly chosen. Beuys used edible items like butter, sausage and chocolate in some works, knowing that they would transform and decay over time, changing the way that people reacted to each piece. Fat in particular played a large role, used to signify “chaos and the potential for spiritual transcendence”. The images above show how the work ‘Fat Chair’, which featured a triangular slab of butter on a wooden chair, evolved as it decayed.

Zhang Xiaotao

(images via: saatchi gallery)
Perhaps hang Xiaotao’s art isn’t made directly from putrefying objects, but nearly as unusual is the desire to produce art that holds up decay as a subject worth portraying again and again. Xiaotao depicts moldy strawberries, rotting birthday cake, heaps of trash in the subway and ants feasting on forgotten food as lovingly as if they were stunning landscapes and beautiful models. “I am creating something that is disappointing and yet has great hopes – a cycle of positive and negative energy that is in a constant state of renewal,” he told China Daily.

---

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebEcoist:

42 Phenomenal Works of Fire Art and Design

In ancient and modern cosmologies alike, fire is often regarded as both a creative and destructive force. Aside of the aesthetics of fire art there is something compelling about taming this primal, c... 6 Comments - Click Here to Read More »»

---

Frozen Moments: Freaky, Funky Eco Art Installations

It would be easy to see death and depression in Claire Morgan‘s visual art installations. After all, they often feature dead bugs, taxidermy animals, and dead or dying plant matter. The compone... Click Here to Read More »»

---

At this point, most people are well aware of how cigarettes and their smoke affect health, but not nearly as many are aware of how they affect the environment. Trillions of cigarettes are created each day, and when they’re smoked, their is nothing to do but toss them away. Now that the addictive affects of cigarettes are well documented, there are a ton of smokeless alternatives coming to the market that promise to lessen the health affects, and the environmental effects, of smoking.

(Images via e-cig-environ, diytrade, 7gadgets)

A lot of people love to puff on their old pipe, but as the smell of pipe tobacco once brought to a mind a library full of books and a fireplace, it now brings up images of tar filled lungs. One solution is an electronic pipe that gives you the chemicals your body has become dependent upon, without sacrificing the pipe that has become such an indelible part of your image.

(Images via trendhunter, soccerphile, safetobacco, ecigaretteblog, electroniccigreviews)

Electronic cigarettes are touted as an environmental asset, as they are reusable, and can help offset the 4.5 trillion non biodegradable cigarette butts piled into landfills each year (source: tobacco control). Some of the earlier solutions and cigarette alternatives look more like torture devices or spy gadgets than the cigarettes we’re used to, but some of the newer ones look sleek and even light up as you inhale, or let out a smoke-like vapor when you exhale.

(Images via best4smoke, coolest-gadgets, shopgomi, amazon, alibaba)

Smokeless ashtrays are not as effective at preventing worldwide pollution from cigarettes, but at least they incentivize people to dispose of their cigarettes properly, and not just toss them to the ground. Most smokeless ashtrays are intimidating and appear straight out of a sci fi movie, but attempts have been made to add a little aesthetic improvment (and gadget aesthetic).

(Images via delhi, realecig, blogcritics, free-press-release)

E cigarettes can now be reloaded on the road. With mini docking stations that look more like a GPS, the excuses for not switching from environment harming cigarettes to electronic versions, are becoming hard to stand behind. People used to rally behind their victimization by money grubbing cigarette companies, but these alternatives allow you to ease off (or fully indulge) one’s addictions, without spreading the burden of the harmful smoke and litter onto the rest of the community.

---

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebEcoist:

Trashy Times: Where Do Recycled Gadgets Really Go?

Do you know what really happens to your electronics after you’re done with them? If you send them to a recycling facility, there’s a good chance that they’ll actually end up in coun... 8 Comments - Click Here to Read More »»

---

Mad Medicine: 14 Crazy Cures from Ages Past

Many modern alternative medical practices are bizarre and even frightening, and in all fairness, within a century or two historians will likely look back at many of our mainstream treatments and see ... Click Here to Read More »»

---

The world is truly a hypochondriac’s nightmare, full of thousands upon thousands of painful and debilitating diseases and medical conditions, from the mundane to the highly unusual. But you don’t see these 15 disorders every day. Extremely rare and unbelievably bizarre, the world’s weirdest health issues range from ‘possessed’ hands that can’t be controlled to a metabolic disorder that makes sweat, urine and breath stink like putrefying fish.

Alien Hand Syndrome

(image via: film journal)

It’s the plot of a few horror movies, but also a very bizarre reality for some: hands with minds of their own that move and behave seemingly independent of the sufferer’s intentions. The ‘alien’ hands undo buttons, manipulate tools and even grope people without the awareness of those to whom the hands are attached. The individual has full sensation in the hand, but it seems ‘possessed’. It’s caused by a separation of the lobes of the brain whether through injury or surgery, and there’s no cure other than to distract the errant hand with an object to handle.

Bodies Turned to Stone

(image via: wikimedia commons)

Some people’s bodies are a little too proficient at healing injuries, going so far overboard as to turn a joint to stone. The extremely rare condition known as fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva involves a mutation of the body’s repair mechanism, which causes muscle, tendons and ligaments to ossify when damaged. For people with this medical condition, operations on their injuries will only cause additional bone growth. In the most extreme cases, patients may be rendered completely immobile within decades.

Persistent Sexual Arousal Syndrome

(image via: mapbutcher)

Imagine having 200+ orgasms each and every day – not just in the privacy of your own home, but on the train, in meetings at work and at dinner with your parents. As opposed to hypersexuality, persistent sexual arousal syndrome is more physical than psychological and is usually detached from sexual desire. One study connected the disorder to restless leg syndrome. There’s no known effective cure.

Alice in Wonderland Syndrome

(image via: jackieleigh)

When objects appear much small or larger than they should – like dogs the size of mice, or ladybugs as big as a house – you’re either on drugs or experiencing Alice in Wonderland Syndrome, a temporary condition that affects our perception of the world around us. Sometimes associated with migraines and often occurring at the edge of sleep, the disturbances affect sense of size, depth and even time. Doctors believe that it may involve the brain’s occipital lobe, which controls visual information.

Exploding Head Syndrome

(image via: joseph gray)

If the jarring sound of an explosion wakes you up in the middle of the night, it’s usually because a transformer blew or your cat knocked over some dishes. But for some people, hearing such sounds is an everyday occurrence – and it’s all in their heads. People with Exploding Head Syndrome hear all kinds of racket in the night, startling them out of a deep sleep. Such incidents are thought to be brought on by anxiety or extreme fatigue, and the condition is not associated with any physical ailment.

Walking Corpse Syndrome

(image via: dan hollister duck)

Walking Corpse Syndrome isn’t just the name of a metal band. It’s an utterly mystifying phenomenon in which the afflicted person is convinced that he or she has died or lost some vital part of the body, but are still aware and walking the earth. Officially known as Cotard’s Syndrome, this mental illness can sometimes be brought about by a brain injury. Very rarely, people with Walking Corpse Syndrome believe they’re immortal and begin testing that theory, resulting in suicide.

Progeria – Accelerated Aging

(image via: wikimedia commons)

We all dread the symptoms of aging – baldness, wrinkles, losing our teeth. But sometimes, they come all too early. Children with the extremely rare disorder known as Progeria begin to look elderly before they’re even two years old, while maintaining age-appropriate intelligence. Sadly, most people affected by Progeria begin to suffer from the same ailments as the elderly including arthritis and cardiovascular disease and rarely live past the age of thirteen.

Foreign Accent Syndrome

[youtube=f-y-x88hU9Y]

Imagine waking up to find that you suddenly have a foreign accent, and it’s completely out of your control. Crazy as it sounds, Foreign Accent Syndrome is not just a pretentious affectation among people who want to sound exotic or sophisticated. This involuntary change in speech usually occurs after a brain injury like a stroke or head trauma, although in at least one case it seems to have been caused by a severe migraine. The specific way in which speech is affected varies in each individual, making it sound as if the person has an accent specific to a particular area of the world.

Aquagenic Urticaria – Allergy to Water

(image via: metro)

Being allergic to substances like milk or peanuts is difficult enough – but imagine breaking out in painful, burning welts every time your skin was touched by water. That’s daily life for people with Aquagenic Urticaria, who are allergic to water in all forms – even tears. One British woman with this highly unusual condition can’t even hold her son because if he sweats, she “gets covered in sore lumps.” “I am a prisoner in my own body,” Michaela Dutton told The Metro. “I don’t see friends because they wrongly think it’s contagious.”

Cold Urticaria – Allergy to Cold Temperatures

(image via: wikimedia commons)

Almost everybody gets goosebumps in cold weather, but breaking out in hives is another matter altogether. People with cold urticaria are actually allergic to cold temperatures. Most people with this condition only get mildly itchy when it’s cold, while others suffer from severe welts on any part of the body exposed to cold, including the mouth and throat when cold beverages are consumed. Some people with severe cold urticaria can’t go swimming, because cool water temperatures could cause them to go into shock and drown.

Congenital Insensitivity to Pain

(image via: dadjanda)

A word without pain sounds great, right? Except that it would be a complete disaster. Just ask anyone afflicted with Congenital Insensitivity to Pain. Sure, they’re immune to torture and won’t ever complain of a toothache or a sprained ankle, but for children in particular, this disorder often results in debilitating injuries. It’s all too easy to scratch your eye, burn yourself, bite off the tip of your tongue or walk around on a broken bone oblivious to the problem. The condition is caused by either large amounts of endorphins in the brain, or congenital mutations that dull pain-sensing neurons.

Human Werewolf Syndrome

(image via: mental floss)

How much body hair is considered abnormal? It’s generally subjective, but for people with severe Hypertrichosis, hair grows profusely in all sorts of unusual places, leaving no question that something unusual is going on. Sometimes referred to as “human werewolf syndrome”, severe hypertrichosis involves excessive hair growth all over the body which grows back even after laser treatments. Only about 50 living people are currently known to have this condition.

Tree Bark Skin Disorder

(image via: popfi)

People go to great lengths to get rid of a single wart. What if your entire body were covered in them? That’s reality for the few people in the world who have ‘Epidermodysplasia Verruciformis‘, a hereditary skin disorder in which skin growths caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV) spread out of control. One of the most severe cases is that of Dede Koswara, an Indonesian Man who has been called “Tree Man”. 95% of his warts were removed in 2008, but most of them grew back, making it clear that he will require 2 surgeries a year for the rest of his life to keep them at bay.

Blue Skin Disorder

[youtube=Gq8C0GknwAM]

Skin comes in all colors – even shocking shades of blue and violet. For the Fugate family of Kentucky, blue skin was a hereditary trait that passed down from one generation to the next over 162 years due to a rare blood disorder called methemoglobinemia. Essentially, because blood is less oxygenated, it appears blue rather than red through the skin. Since the cause of the family’s disorder was discovered, all members carrying the gene have been treated and appear normal. But sometimes people get a strange blue tinge to their skin even without this affliction – argyria is a blue skin disorder associated with consumption of the health supplement colloidal silver.

Fish Odor Syndrome

(image via: joost j baker ijmuiden)

How would you like to walk around emitting insanely noxious odors, no matter how good your personal hygiene may be? People with trimethylaminuria, sometimes called ‘fish odor syndrome’, can’t control the very strong smells that are emitted through their sweat, urine and breath because their bodies don’t properly break down a fishy-smelling organic compound found in food. The smell is so strong that this rare disorder can be life-disrupting. There is no known treatment, but some people manage it through diet and antibiotics.

---

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebEcoist:

12 Most Bizarre Modern Alternative Medical Treatments

The only thing that makes a medical theory or practice ‘alternative’ is the fact that it hasn’t been accepted by the mainstream medical community – yet. And when the world is teem... 3 Comments - Click Here to Read More »»

---

Mad Medicine: 14 Crazy Cures from Ages Past

Many modern alternative medical practices are bizarre and even frightening, and in all fairness, within a century or two historians will likely look back at many of our mainstream treatments and see ... Click Here to Read More »»

---

Many modern alternative medical practices are bizarre and even frightening, and in all fairness, within a century or two historians will likely look back at many of our mainstream treatments and see them as crazy, too. But few contemporary medical ideas are quite as terrifying as those used in ages past, from Ancient Greece to the early 20th century. Torture devices and quackery in the name of health were par for the course from intentional brain damage as a cure for mental illness to giving children heroin for coughs.

Trepanation – Drilling Holes into the Skull

(image via: wikimedia commons)

Got a migraine? Maybe it would feel better if a doctor drilled a hole into your skull – without anesthesia. But probably not.  The process of intentionally punching a hole in the skull – known as trepanation – was once considered the best option for epileptic seizures, mental disorders and head injuries, and involved some of the most amazingly terrifying medical instruments you’ve ever seen. It has been around at least since neolithic times, and some people actually believe that it has a place in modern medicine.

Consumption of Honey-Coated Cadaver

(images via: surlygirl, wikipedia)

One man’s death by honey was another man’s health boon for broken bones centuries ago in Arabia, if 16th century Chinese sources are to be believed. The story goes that elderly Arabian men would offer themselves up as sacrifices for the health of others, consuming nothing but honey and even bathing in the sticky substance, eventually putting out nothing but honey as bodily waste and perishing from this all-honey diet. After death, the bodies were placed in stone tombs to steep in even more honey for at least a century, at which point they had become delicious confections ready for black-market purchase and consumption.

Metal Hooks and Back-Door Surgery for Bladder Stones

(image via: braceface)

Bladder stones are painful enough on their own, especially when they prevent urine from leaving the body. But imagine your doctor telling you that in order to remove them, he’d have to put a rigid metal hook into your urethra to coax them out. Ouch. But if you think that sounds bad, the traditional procedure was much worse: after forcing a patient into a ‘jack-knife’ position, held down by two assistants, the doctor would work the stone toward the entrance of the bladder and then cut it out through the anus.

Curing Coughs with Snail Syrup

(image via: debs)

For centuries, one of the best remedies people had for sore throats and coughs was consuming the mucilaginous essence of snails. One doctor wrote in 1728, “They abound with a slimy juice; and are experienced very good in weaknesses and consumption, especially for children and tender constitutions. To make a syrup of snails, take Garden snails, early in the morning while the dew is upon them, one pound; take off their shells; slit them; and with half a pound of sugar, put them in a bag; hang them in a cellar and the syrup will melt and drop through; which keep for use. It possesses in the best manner all the virtues of snails.” But that’s not even the worst of it. Some people would prick a snail to bring forth that slimy, foamy juice and then drop the whole thing into the ear to cure an earache.

Curing Hemorrhoids with Hot Irons

(image via: mckinney collection)

In the most severe cases of hemorrhoids, draining some of the blood via incision and then cauterizing the wounds is a painful-sounding but effective method used in modern medicine. But back in the day, they didn’t have fancy painkillers and electrical wires or lasers with which to do the surgery. Doctors used a plain old cautery iron to burn those blasted swollen veins into oblivion.

Heroin Cough Syrup for Children

(image via: logo design love)

Heroin is known today as one of the most addictive substances in the world, but few realize that it was actually sold by Bayer as a cough suppressant for children. Scientists believed that it was a non-addictive alternative to morphine, from which it was synthesized, but of course, that was soon proven wrong. Test subjects often said the drug made them feel ‘heroic’, which led to the choice of brand name.  Heroin was seen as a godsend for sufferers of tuberculosis, including children. In 1913, as hospitals teemed with patients miserably addicted to the ‘medicine’, Bayer decided to stop making it.

Bloodletting to Drain Illness

(image via: wikimedia commons)

Ancient physicians theorized that since a woman’s body naturally cleared out “bad humors” through menstruation, drawing blood from the veins of both sexes was a great way to let illness out of the body. Bloodletting was extremely common, and not just for serious ailments: some doctors recommended it for indigestion and even acne. The only real benefit might have been relieving hypertension in certain patients, but that was probably purely accidental and very rare. Bloodletting fell out of favor by the late 19th century.

Icepick to the Brain

(image via: npr)

How to cure the mentally ill? Remove their ‘extra emotions’ by cutting out a piece of their brains. Like trepanation, lobotomies were once performed by drilling a hole into the head, but psychiatrist Water Freeman quickly ‘improved’ the procedure by switching to a faster icepick-through-the-eye-socket method. Performed after  rendering the patient unconscious via electric shock, it took only ten minutes, but the results varied wildly, from the successful to the tragic. Its usage declined as effective antipsychotic drugs became available in the 1960s.

Mummy Powder for Health and Home

(image via: wikimedia commons)

The story of mellified man may not be confirmed, but another medicinal usage of carefully prepared human remains is without question. Starting in the 12th century, Arabs – who didn’t consider ancient Egyptians to be there ancestors, and thus thought nothing of it – began grinding up mummies and using the powder for various health ills, both internally and externally, and even household uses. The crudely mummified bodies of peasants, dug out of sand pits, went for a pittance while the embalmed remains of aristocrats fetched a pretty penny.

Malaria as Treatment for Syphilis

(image via: wikimedia commons)

Malaria kills up to three million people per year, and many poor communities must go to great lengths to stop the spread of this mosquito-borne disease. But in the 1920s, one doctor discovered that malaria has an interesting side effect: killing syphilis, a comparably less insidious disease that nonetheless has a 100% fatality rate once it affects the brain. Malarial fevers reach temperatures high enough to kill the bacteria that causes syphilis. While Dr. Julius Wagner-Jauregg won the 1927 Nobel Prize for this discovery, it’s no longer considered a great treatment option, to say the least (but that’s not stopping Dr. Heimlich of the famed Heimlich Maneuver from recommending it as a cure for AIDS.)

Tobacco Smoke Enema

(image via: tophat tobacco)

For a short period in medical history, tobacco was considered a panacea; the addictive and poisonous effects of nicotine were not yet known. The warmth and stimulation provided by tobacco smoke was thought to be a treatment for “apparent death”, so smoke was literally blown up the behinds of recent drowning victims, cholera victims, people near death and often simply as a ‘health tonic’.

Sugar Coma for Schizophrenia

(image via: mel b.)

Like a glucose-induced lobotomy, deliberate insulin comas were designed to change the personalities of people with schizophrenia. Unfortunately, they were usually fatal. In the 1940s, psychiatric clinics (particularly in Germany) would deprive patients’ brains of glucose, the sugar-based fuel that the brain needs to function, and then “re-awaken” the brain with a glucose injection. This process had a tranquillizing effect – because it was causing severe brain damage.

Shocking Cure for Impotence

(image via: wastatelibrary)

If a certain part of the male body isn’t functioning as it should, perhaps a jolt of electricity will get it going. That’s what doctors believed back in the 1800s, when “electrotherapeutics” were a popular cure-all. “It is especially in the genital organs that electricity is truly marvelous. Impotence disappears, strength and desire of youth return, and the man, old before his time, whether by excesses or privations, with the aid of electrical fustigation, can become 15 years younger,” wrote one medical historian. But as shocking as that may seem, modern Israeli scientists believe it’s still a valid idea. Their research has shown that electric shockwaves can induce the growth of blood vessels.

Tapeworm Diet

(image via: museum of quackery)

“Eat! Eat! Eat! And always stay thin!” If you are willing to house a wriggling tapeworm in your bowels, at least. The Tapeworm Diet involved the intentional consumption of parasite eggs in order to maintain a trim figure, due to the fact that the tapeworm gets most of the nourishment you consume. But not only does tapeworm infestation have its own serious health effects, it can also cause abdominal distention – not exactly the look most dieters are going for. While this diet should have died a long time ago, it was recently tossed back into the limelight with an appearance by several would-be tapeworm ingesters on a daytime talk show.

---

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebEcoist:

12 Most Bizarre Modern Alternative Medical Treatments

The only thing that makes a medical theory or practice ‘alternative’ is the fact that it hasn’t been accepted by the mainstream medical community – yet. And when the world is teem... 3 Comments - Click Here to Read More »»

---

World’s 15 Weirdest Diseases & Medical Conditions

The world is truly a hypochondriac’s nightmare, full of thousands upon thousands of painful and debilitating diseases and medical conditions, from the mundane to the highly unusual. But you don... Click Here to Read More »»

---

Beer, wine and cocktails… they may satisfy our thirst and pacify our anxieties, but the art of alcoholic refreshments has rarely catered to our visual sensibilities – until now. By crystallizing our preferred potables and photographing them through the microscope, heretofore unknown aspects of their essential characters can now be displayed in bold, rich, technicolor hues.

What’s A BevShot?

(images via: BevShots and Fast Pitch Networking)

BevShots are, in a nutshell, graphic representations of your favorite beers, wines and cocktails… but like those delectable drinkables, a nutshell just whets one’s appetite for more. It’s the complex processing BevShots uses to create their alcoholic art that makes it unique, appealing and a tasteful addition to home and business decor.

(images via: Gigazine and iTunes)

As any aficionado of vintage wines, micro-brews or exotic cocktails knows, it’s the minute proportions of various essential ingredients that can make the difference between, say, Dom Perignon and Thunderbird. These differences become visible when BevShots highlights them using a complex process. The full details may be perused at the BevShots website but suffice to say that crystallization, polarization and magnification play significant parts in the journey from beverage to BevShot.

Crystal, Clear

(images via: BevShots and Molecular Expressions)

One of the pioneers in the field of polarized light microphotograpy is Michael W. Davidson. In 1992, Davidson began looking for ways to market his polarized light microphotograpy in an effort to fund his lab at Florida State University. One of the first fruits of this endeavor was the Molecular Expressions Cocktail Collection, limited edition neckties displaying patterns derived from Davidson’s microphotographs. The neckties drew the attention of Lester Hutt, now president of BevShots MicroArt, LLC. BevShots licenses their images from Florida State University and Michael Davidson, giving both men something to raise a glass about.

(images via: Back Reaction, Microscopy UK and BevShots)

It’s been commonly known for some time now that crystallized substances display a fascinating range of colors and patterns when viewed through the microscope under polarized light. While not strictly a diagnostic or statistical tool in the manner of gas chromatography, these images bridge the gap between art and science, helping to bring the cold, hard facts of the latter into the appreciation of those who are of a more artistic bent. Viewed under the microscope and illuminated by polarized light, substances such as (from clockwise above) caffeine, testosterone and DNA display otherwise unknown aspects of their “personalities”.

Art For The Drinking Class

(images via: Flups!, EngineHouse13 and Express Milwaukee)

All well and good, but the market niche for graphic art featuring one’s DNA or testosterone is limited to say the least. The market for art related to cars, sports and other “manly pursuits”, on the other hand, is quite wide.

(image via: 1up)

Beverage art is one way the more macho members of society can get in touch with their artistic side, and the unisex appeal of BevShots’ presentation makes it far more likely to be accepted by spouses who may balk at framed Budweiser posters hanging in their living rooms.

(images via: Gigazine and BevShots)

I don’t know about you, but at this point I could use a drink… so let’s move on to some of the actual BevShots themselves, matched with the beers, wines and cocktails that are their sources. Those of you at home, feel free to mix & match accordingly.

American Amber Ale

(images via: Beer Advocate, Aleuminati and My Beer Buzz)

American Amber Ales, also known as Red Ales, are generally medium in body and level of maltiness with a distinct hue ranging from a light coppery red to pale brown. In most domestic amber ales, American-variety hops are used, resulting in a “hoppy” bitterness, flavor, and aroma. One of the most popular American Amber Ales is Budweiser American Ale, while among the highest rated are Tröegs Nugget Nectar, YuleSmith (Winter) and Red Rocket Ale.

(image via: BevShots)

The BevShot for American Amber Ale looks, at first glance, like a traditional pioneer quilt. Rich magenta, bright turquoise and golden tones are reminiscent of Van Gogh’s final cornfield paintings while feathery structures interact with each other, much like frost on the inside of a Wisconsin window on a chill January morning.

Irish Pale Lager

(images via: Easy Monica’s Bakery, Go Harpos and Quigley’s)

First brewed in 1960 at the Great Northern Brewery in Dundalk, Ireland, Harp Lager is one of the best known Irish Pale Lager. Available on draught (since 1964), Harp typifies the genre of pale lager beers. Legend has it, a master beer brewer by the name of Dr. Herman Muender was commissioned by the Great Northern Brewery to create a new golden lager beer that would meet rising demand in Ireland for a lighter counterpart to Irish stouts such as Guinness. Ironically, Harp Lager today is owned and brewed by Guinness Ltd.

(images via: Home Workshop and BevShots)

The BevShot for Irish Pale Lager is not what one might expect: Globules of metallic black stream across a vale of ominous autumnal orange that fades into intense grape. Quite heavy and intense, full-bodied and bold… much like Harp Lager’s fraternal brew, Guinness.

Jamaican Lager

(images via: RTVchannel, Rob Kline Online and Aaron and Frank)

Think of Jamaican beer and what most often comes to mind is Red Stripe Lager, mon. The main reason for Red Stripe’s global popularity is that it’s an easy beer to like – mild in taste and low in bitterness, about the worst one can say about Red Stripe is that it’s inoffensive at least, anonymous at best. Many Americans familiar with Budweiser will not notice much difference when drinking Red Stripe; like Bud it’s an American Adjunct Lager that may be made with rice or corn as the source grain depending on cost and availability.

(image via: BevShots)

If Jamaican Beer is synonymous with ed Stripe Lager, Jamaica itself evokes thoughts of warmth and sunshine. The BevShot for Jamaican Lager does not disappoint, being suffused with golden tones, sky blue and cyan shades, and the overall impression of a sunny, tropical afternoon.

Japanese Sake

(images via: Yellow Sunrise and JFC)

Though colloquially referred to as rice wine, Japanese sake more closely resembles beer – at least, in respect to the brewing process. Sake is usually clear, though it can also be amber (aged), cloudy or even pale pink. Sake has a higher alcohol content than most wines; upwards of 15 percent after diluting with water. Traditionally, sake is served in small cups from a warmed, hourglass-shaped ceramic decanter called a tokkuri, though a cooler way is to drink it from a dried whole squid!

(image via: BevShots)

Japanese Sake’s BevShot evokes the exquisite, complex patterning of the very best silk Geisha kimonos. Deep cherry and jet black flare up into brilliant gold and shimmering Sakura blossom pink. Satisfactory for the sleeping chamber of a Shogun? Sho ’nuff!

Tequila

(images via: SF A-List, Mexico Travel Guide, Head Injury Theater and Ian Chadwick)

One tequila two tequila three tequila floor! Ah yes, tequila, Mexico’s most appreciated drinkable export regardless of what The Most Interesting Man in the World may say. Tequila traces its roots back to before the Spanish conquest when the Aztecs fermented the Blue Agave plant to produce a wickedly intoxicating brew called pulque. The Spanish, to their credit, did not ban this early tequila – likely because they had run out of brandy brought from Spain. By the early 1800s, tequila was being distilled in and around the city of Guadalajara. As for the legendary “worm”… it’s more of a marketing gimmick than a traditional ingredient, and if found at all it would be in tequila’s rougher, smokier cousin, Mezcal.

(image via: BevShots)

Tequila does not contain any psychoactive substances, nor does Mezcal – this is a rumor that grew from the word Mezcal’s similarity to the name of the hallucinogenic drug mescaline. Even so, the WebShot for tequila definitely exudes a psychedelic vibe. Deep sky blues and lush, tropical greens jostle for position with glowing violet, warm tangerine and rich cinnabar over a midnight black ground. Carlos Castaneda, your order is ready.

Vodka

(images via: Spirit Of Metal, Ikon Vodka and Russian Kafe)

One of the world’s most popular libations, vodka is the alcoholic beverage of choice all through the “vodka belt”, which stretches from Norway east across Poland and the Ukraine to Russia’s Pacific coastline. Vodka can be made from a number of fermentation sources but wheat, rye and potatoes are the most common. Clear to the eye and with very few additions or impurities, vodka can contain up to 50 percent pure ethanol (though 40 percent, or 80 proof is typical) and as such makes an excellent mixer.

(image via: BevShots)

This crystal clear drink reveals a surprisingly varied palette of color when given the BevShots treatment. Faded turquoise, grass green and soft khaki reflect the shades of a warm Russian summer while overlying spatters of cobalt blue and rusty vermilion denote the hand of Man as he strives to tame this sprawling land and bend it to his will. Whew, I’m tired already… someone mix me a Screwdriver!

Red Wine

(images via: Scarletbird, Hawkhurst Wines, One Jerusalem and Brightest Young Things)

Red, red wine… celebrated in song and the center of celebrations, this ancient spirit of the grape has played a pivotal role in the affairs of God, gods and men. Produced today in dozens of nations and in hundreds of varieties, red wine ranges from humble plonk to rare vintages named for romantic chateaux and legendary women. From the wine-dark sea of Homerian odysseys to the lunar crater that bears the name of the classical Greek god of wine, from magenta Merlots to purple Pinot Noir, red wine isn’t just a drink – it’s a way of life.

(image via: BevShots)

The BevShot for Red Wine reminds one of Monet’s more abstract Impressionist works. Burnished gold and malachite blue-green stand out from a ground of blush violet and deep serpentine. Crystalline manifestations though they may be, the evocative patterns displayed provoke a Rorschachian response – one sees what their conscious and subconscious minds conspire for them to see… ideally while enjoying a glass of fine red wine.

Rosé Wine

(images via: BW & W, The Dieline and Sans Dosage)

The term “Rosé”, as pertains to wine, can describe a product ranging in hue from pale pink and orange to rich purple, making some Rosé wines nearly indistinguishable visually from their red relatives. Though Rosé as a genre of wine has a European origin, the style exploded in popularity when California winegrowers unleashed a bevy of sweet “blush” wines into the American market in the mid-1970s. Though today Rosé wines are trending back to their historic light, dry taste, these pinkish wines retain a huge, loyal following among those whose tastes rebel at the dark, tannin-y bite of red wines.

(image via: BevShots)

Perhaps the most “California” of the BevShots, Rosé wine’s image explodes with dayglo shades ranging from blushing pink to Navajo turquoise to seafoam green. Contrastingly colored crystals rear up like a monster wave off Rincon. Fancy this image hanging in your Malibu beach house? Get the house first, then we’ll talk.

Piña Colada

(images via: Raspberry Magazine, Home Made Grits and Evelyn McCullough)

Legend has it that the Piña Colada cocktail was invented by a Puerto Rican pirate in the early 1800s. Supposedly his crew was feeling down in the dumps, perhaps as a result of not getting any booty – of any kind. To cheer them up and possibly distract them from thoughts of mutiny, the pirate captain concocted a cocktail containing pineapple, coconut and rum. Can’t you just see those toothless, eye-patched, scurvy dogs now, singing Yo Ho Ho while hoisting Tiki Mugs topped with those little folding umbrellas? No? Have another Piña Colada…

(image via: BevShots)

The BevShot for Piña Colada is a riot of rainbow hues resembling the tail of a peacock in full courtship display. Tropical sunsets have got nothing on this… well, except for the sun, sand and bikini-clad cuties. At least you’ve got your imagination; and this gorgeous BevShot.

Margarita

(images via: SWFlorida4U, Cooking Chemist and HostessBlog)

Wasting away in Margaritaville… that Jimmy Buffett really gets around. Or maybe I’m confusing him with Rupert Holmes, he of ear-grating “The Pina Colada Song”, remember that one? Sorry… moving on to the Margarita. This classic cocktail features, in its most basic iteration, tequila mixed with triple sec and lime – and of course, the glass must have a salted rim. Variations include the Texas margarita (with orange juice), Raspberry margarita, Strawberry margarita, Peach margarita, Mango margarita, Melon margarita, Banana margarita, Apple margarita, and the Margarona, which features a mini Corona beer turned upside down and set in the center of the glass.

(image via: BevShots)

The beautiful BevShot for the Margarita cocktail looks like a field of prairie wheat treated with multiple color filters and processed as a reverse negative. You could go through all the trouble but hey – life’s too short as it is. Kick back with a Margarita ( a classic, not one of those pastel girly versions) or two and admire this bodacious BevShot!

Need a little motion to enhance the emotion? This video will guide you through a variety of BevShots with a mellow Miles musical soundtrack to help keep the beat:

Alcohol As Art, via Dravreh

(image via: Exotic Excess)

Need something to hang on your wall and you’ve already got a flat-screen TV? BevShots hit the spot. After all, the average guy, gal or couple is confused enough about exactly what “art” is, and what should (and should not) be featured at your main room’s focal point. BevShots look great, match more home decor schemes and have that essential inner meaning that makes real art worth owning. Best of all, now you can have your art and drink it too!

---

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebEcoist:

Green Drinks: Remixing 10 Classic Cocktails

If you’re going to go green, it’s practically your responsibility to drink. Green drinks, that is. Get a healthy buzz on with these organic drink recipes that sustain the planet…and... 6 Comments - Click Here to Read More »»

---

Creative Ways to Give Old Beer Cans New Life

Before sending all of your beer or soda cans to the recycling center, you may want to see some ways they could be useful. Because aluminum cans are so abundant, especially on Mondays, many people hav... 9 Comments - Click Here to Read More »»

---