Since my project is inspired by the desert aesthetic, I think the opposite aesthetic would be like a rainforest or tropical aesthetic. While the desert aesthetic is defined by various tones of brown, reds, and oranges, I would think the opposite is mainly various colors of green. Additionally, when designing my upcycled flower pot with the desert aesthetic I tried to make it somewhat barren and dead. This is because the desert is associated with the idea of being barren. Very little is able to grow in the desert so none of the natural beauty of its scenery is really contributed by vegetation or other organic objects. This is why my cactus pot is very minimal, really only including a few types of brown and not trying to make anything “pop out” too much. On the other hand, a rainforest or tropical aesthetic might include a lot of colors that “pop out”. This is because many of the colors are much more alive and are contributed to the excess amount of vegetative life in a tropical area such as green, blue from water, and assortments of bright colors from wildflowers or fruits. It is easy to tell how this is the opposite of barren because the excessive amount of life in tropical settings shows that there is a lot going on and isn’t very minimal like the desert. Another aspect of the desert that I tried to employ in my cactus is the lack of humidity. I did this by trying to pick very neutrally toned brown colors into the pot to show that there is a lack of water within the deserts “soil”. This is also why I am trying to fill the pot with a sand or dry dirt type of substance and include a cactus within the pot. All of these objects (sand, dry dirt, and cactus) are all associated with drought and a lack of water. On the other hand, a tropical or rainforest aesthetic will have that water and humidity that the dessert lacks. In the tropical aesthetic, blue colors or vivid colors might want to be used to represent the excess of water in the setting.
In terms of switching up upcycle materials to show the opposite of my desert aesthetic, I think that lego bricks would still be a fine material to build the pot. However, different colored lego bricks would need to be used. Instead of all neutral browns, dark brown, green, and blue bricks would have to be used. Also, the sand and cactus within the pot would need to be replaced with a darker soil and vibrant wildflower. This would create the biggest aesthetic change in the project and really show the tropical aesthetics as the opposite of the desert aesthetic.
“Creative Green Bricks 11007: Classic: Buy Online AT THE OFFICIAL LEGO® Shop Us.” 11007 | Classic | Buy Online at the Official LEGO® Shop US, www.lego.com/en-us/product/creative-green-bricks-11007?consent-modal=show. Accessed 14 Feb. 2024.
Flawildflowers. “Tropical Sage.” Florida Wildflower Foundation, 8 Oct. 2021, www.flawildflowers.org/flower-friday-salvia-coccinea/.
Nosowitz, Dan. “How the Save the Rainforest Movement Gave Rise to Modern Environmentalism.” Vox, 16 Sept. 2019, www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/9/16/20863152/save-the-rainforest-environmentalism-conservation.
2 Comments. Leave new
Ethan, thanks for writing about your current project plans, since I haven’t seen it in previous posts it was nice to get a lot of context and visualize your current goals. I think you’re right about a color change since lots of greens go along with a rainforest aesthetic. With the actual contents of the pot, I think you could stand to add a little more than just a flower. In my mind I see a rainforest/tropical aesthetic marked by lots of thick foliage and moss, so adding more organic material would still keep a flower as the focal point but get more of a deep foliage vibe going.
Hello Ethan, I really like what you have decided to write about for your opposite aesthetic of choice. I find that a tropical rainforest does provide a great example of contrast to that of the desert aesthetic. One thing that you hit on that I found to be important was the combination of colors and their associated tones which clearly represent each of these two environments. One thing that I think may be cool to try would be incorporating a bit of the rainforest aesthetic into your project; for example a desert spring which would almost tie two different worlds together.