A blown-glass, wind-up, steampunk-evoking vibrator and a vibrating, penetratable fleshy blob of a vaulting horse are the centerpieces of Design Academy Eindhoven (Netherlands) graduate Bastiaan Buijs‘ final year project. Grandfathers Clock and The Satyr each present as suitable for inclusion in a Scandinavian home design aesthetic, yet, to me, retain something that reminds me how these settings are simultaneously attractive, and yet uncomfortable to actually be in.
‘The satyr’ uses the the buck – a classic gym apparatus [vaulting horse] – as reference for the abstract looking form of this straddle. Targeted for men, the piece produces vibrations and along with a hole at the one end, allows the user to feel an intense and all round stimulating experience.
‘Grandfather’s clock’ is a vibrator fabricated from hand-blown glass. The intricate clockwork mechanism is visible and powers the vibrations (lasting 4-5 minutes) powered by winding the key. The use of craftsmanship and unconventional materials hopes for people to not have them hidden away, but proud and decorative objects of lust. (designboom)
About The Satyr, Buijs writes, “I gave the design a more abstract form and changed its function from a gym into a sexobject for men. It has organic forms and hole meant for the man to put his penis in. The vibrations, height and roundings result in an intensely stimulating physical experience.” He told designboom, “The normalization of ordinary sex toys in my opinion, contribute to the breaking of taboos around sexuality.”
