Our crack shot of an Art Director, Jason Babler, sent me a link to this video of Dutch artist Jólan van der Wiel’s Gravity Stool project. Here’s the description from the artist’s site:

The Gravity Stool owes its unique shape to the cooperation between magnetic fields and the power of gravity.

Departing from the idea that everything is influenced by gravitation, a force that has a strongly shaping effect, Jólan intended to manipulate this natural phenomenon by exploiting its own power: magnetism. The positioning of the magnetic fields in the machine, opposing each other, has largely determined the final shape of the Gravity Stool.

It is the combination of the magnet machine with the plastic material, developed especially for this purpose, that enabled Jólan to start a small but efficient chain of production. The forms and products are characterized by the freakish and organic shapes that are typical of nature itself.

The Gravity Stool

BY Gareth Branwyn

Gareth Branwyn is a freelancer writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture, including the first book about the web (Mosaic Quick Tour) and the Absolute Beginner's Guide to Building Robots. He is currently working on a best-of collection of his writing, called Borg Like Me.

17 Responses to Making Furniture with Magnetism

  1. Interestinmg production process,
    Ugly stools.

  2. Question is, how sturdy are these stools? I would love to own one just for decoration, cause it’s an amazing process. It’s not that ugly sinas :P Divorce Lawyer Miami

  3. Pingback: Gravity Stool | A3 LightBox

  4. planella on said:

    it’s very nice i will try to present them on my 3d simulators for my customers
    http://www.planella.ch

  5. not a stool for small children then ay, you know since the legs are covered in spikes..? lol, awesome video though.

  6. Reblogged this on bonanzaetfils and commented:
    Le banc magnétique, idée ingénieuse d’un artiste Néerlandais :
    “The Gravity Stool owes its unique shape to the cooperation between magnetic fields and the power of gravity.

    Departing from the idea that everything is influenced by gravitation, a force that has a strongly shaping effect, Jólan intended to manipulate this natural phenomenon by exploiting its own power: magnetism. The positioning of the magnetic fields in the machine, opposing each other, has largely determined the final shape of the Gravity Stool.

    It is the combination of the magnet machine with the plastic material, developed especially for this purpose, that enabled Jólan to start a small but efficient chain of production. The forms and products are characterized by the freakish and organic shapes that are typical of nature itself.”

  7. I think if the designer would have taken a more professional video approach, such as the Dyson Campaign, It’d probably be more accepted. :30 second short forms would have sold me… I didnt know what I was watching for most of the video. -Rawli

  8. You made a blast, very informative post which i was searching for days back. Nice content proud to share on my blog too.

  9. This is awesome!
    I love the texture of the stools!

  10. barnies vagina on said:

    Cooler in the video than the actual pieces

  11. kristen on said:

    That’s magnets…not gravity

  12. Pingback: MAKE | Best of 2012: 10 Most Popular Posts of the Year

  13. very nice creativity

  14. Pingback: Magnet Machine Gravity Stool

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