the nyc picnic series infuses the art of picnicking with humour

 

Drawing from the surrealist movement where objects metamorphose into unexpected forms, the limited edition NYC Picnic Series infuses the everyday act of picnicking with a touch of humour and absurdity. At the heart of this collection lies the fundamental question: what would a surrealist-inspired New York picnic look like? As such, the series imagined by Nik Bentel, Kortney Hinden, Andy Sun, Mara Tuccio, and Gene Han, transforms iconic New York street foods and attire into playful, functional art pieces that redefine the quintessential Central Park picnic experience — from a hot dog themed handbag to a giant t-shirt shaped mat.

nik bentel reimagines iconic NYC street foods and t-shirt as surreal, whimsical picnic pieces
all images courtesy of Nik Bentel

 

 

nik bentel pays homage to nyc urban culture

 

Taking cues from surrealist artistry, the collection contemplates the New York art of picnicking, renowned for its communal and spontaneous charm, with a design-centric twist. The design team led by Nik Bentel has reimagined the city’s two most beloved street foods and iconic logo, stretching their absurdity through methods of supersizing and unexpected fusions. Two handbags take center stage, inspired by Meret Oppenheim’s famed ‘Ma Gouvernante’ where high heels take on the guise of a whole chicken — questioning whether objects can be imagined as food, and food can be imagined as an object.

 

An ode to Milton Glaser’s iconic ‘I <3 NY’ design, a giant t-shirt shaped picnic blanket encapsulates the essence of shared memories in the expanse of Central Park. As an emblem of impromptu gatherings, the design embraces the concept of communal sharing and fond makeshift picnic moments where an extra t-shirt doubles as a picnic cloth. Enlarged to accommodate 2-4 people, this t-shirt-turned-blanket marked with the city’s beloved logo questions: ‘What would the Great Lawn, look like scattered with ‘I <3 NY’ t-shirts? How can distorting the size of a common object create something spatial?’

nik bentel reimagines iconic NYC street foods and t-shirt as surreal, whimsical picnic pieces
the NYC Picnic Series

nik bentel reimagines iconic NYC street foods and t-shirt as surreal, whimsical picnic pieces
redefining the quintessential Central Park picnic experience with a touch of humour

nik bentel reimagines iconic NYC street foods and t-shirt as surreal, whimsical picnic pieces
the project draws from the surrealist movement where objects metamorphose into unexpected forms

 

 

nik bentel reimagines iconic NYC street foods and t-shirt as surreal, whimsical picnic pieces
the Pizza Bag

nik bentel reimagines iconic NYC street foods and t-shirt as surreal, whimsical picnic pieces
the Hot Dog bag can be resized to carry a variety of drinks

nik bentel reimagines iconic NYC street foods and t-shirt as surreal, whimsical picnic pieces
paying homage to iconic street food

nik bentel reimagines iconic NYC street foods and t-shirt as surreal, whimsical picnic pieces

 

 

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project info:

 

name: The NYC Picnic Series
designer: Nik Bentel, Kortney Hinden, Andy Sun, Mara Tuccio, Gene Han

 

 

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

 

edited by: ravail khan | designboom