ARTICLES

Chris Luu’s ‘Trashcan Vase’ Says Goodbye to New York’s Wire Mesh Trashcan

Explore the product design behind the idea of converting a traditional trashcan vase into a flower vase.

By: THURSD. | 26-04-2023 | 3 min read
Floral Art
Chris Luu's Iconic NYC's Green-Mesh Trashcan Says Goodbye - Thursd Article - Header Image

As New York City bids farewell to its iconic green-mesh trashcan this year, designer Chris Luu pays homage to this idea by transforming it into a flower arrangement or flower vase. Here's how he achieved it and how it has actually shifted the mindset of many when it comes to the general concept of trash.

Redesigning the Concept of ‘Trash’ According to Chris Luu

The creator of the green-mesh trashcan, Chris Luu, creatively and thoughtfully transformed what is the traditional New York trashcan into a flower vase. The outside body of the trashcan vase is comprised of a resin frame attached to an aluminum wire mesh painted in the famed green, with a removable water vessel inside.

 

Chris Luu creates flower vase trashcan concept

 

The hard wrinkled insert looks like a clear garbage bag made of transparent resin and fits snugly to contain the bright floral arrangements. You're about to find out all the juicy details on Chris Luu's creation and how it has remodeled the concept of a trash can, but especially how creative you can get while doing a floral arrangement and putting it in a vase that is not the common choice out there.

 

New York people have said bye to trash cans and opt for flower vase

 

Chris Luu’s Trashcan Vase Payes Homage to the Traditional Old Trashcan Icon

This is the perfect example of what 'out with the old, in with the new' means. The green wire-mesh garbage can, which has littered the cityscape for nearly a century, is almost as iconic with New York as a brownstone. The bins will be eliminated from the urban landscape beginning next year and replaced with a more modern, sleek, and modular design. Immortalizing the soon-to-be-gone symbol and moving it from the streets to the home, New York-based designer Chris Luu has rebuilt and elevated it to become an acceptable home decor piece.


Redefining a trash can vase with Chris Luu

 

His legacy is widely recognized across the world as an instantly recognizable icon of the city and its street culture, having appeared as characteristic props in numerous notable movies and television shows. The effort is similar to floral designer Lewis Miller's bright takeover of New York's streets in 2017 when he transformed empty trashcans into streetside installations brimming with lush botanical arrangements.

 

Big love for the trashcan vase alternative with flowers

 

Background Information About Chriss Luu

Chris Luu is a multidisciplinary creative based in New York City specializing in art direction, copywriting, conception, design, and execution of projects. He believes in strategic, forward-thinking work that promotes inclusiveness and social change at the intersection of art and culture.

 

Chris Luu with his flower vase project

 

The artist has worked on various projects that blend art and technology. His portfolio showcases a range of works that explore interactive installations, generative art, and other forms of creative expression.

According to his portfolio, Chris Luu has worked on projects for clients such as Google, Nike, and Intel, among others. He has also been involved in various collaborations and exhibitions, including the New York Fashion Week and the Interactive Telecommunications Program Winter Show.

Chris Luu is no ordinary artist! Everything he creates, he creates with a meticulous and thoughtful process behind it. Enter Luu's creative world and get soaked in his mind-blowing projects and wild ideas.

 

Photos by Chris Luu.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Can't get enough?

Subscribe to the newsletter, and get bedazzled with awesome flower & plant updates

Sign up