Extreme Nature

August 29, 2006 3:44 PM

If you love gourds but can't stand their gourdly shapes, then Dan Ladd is the artist for you. By snatching young gourds from their parents & stuffing them into unyielding molds, Dan ends up with remarkable natural shapes, organically grown sculptures that bear amazing details.
posted by jonson (27 comments total)

My gourdness that is kind of creepy and interesting all at the same time. Its like bonsai kittens without the kittens.
posted by maxpower at 3:48 PM on August 29, 2006

Can you hear the screaming of the gourds? (And the trees?)
posted by gottabefunky at 3:49 PM on August 29, 2006

Follwing the oddly shaped bouncing gourd.
posted by Astro Zombie at 3:59 PM on August 29, 2006

[this is good]
posted by StrasbourgSecaucus at 4:17 PM on August 29, 2006

Yeah, weird, but very cool.

(Do they make anyone else sort of uncomfortable on some level?....my 'that ain't right' sense is vexed.)
posted by LooseFilter at 4:23 PM on August 29, 2006

Positively ungourdly.
posted by Malor at 4:27 PM on August 29, 2006

I find the torso gourd just flat-out unsettling. And yet delicious sauteed with butter!
posted by scody at 4:41 PM on August 29, 2006 [1 favorite]

You grew it up! Gourd Damn You all to Hell!
posted by isopraxis at 4:49 PM on August 29, 2006

Those are the coolest things! I so want to try this...
posted by yodelingisfun at 4:49 PM on August 29, 2006

This is why I love metafilter. Thank you for this weird and wonderful stuff.
posted by foozleface at 4:59 PM on August 29, 2006 [1 favorite]

They are really cool. I wish I had thought of that!
posted by WaterSprite at 5:18 PM on August 29, 2006

For gourdness' sake!

That stuff is crazy. I've seen the square watermelon trick before, but this is a whole new level of plant art.
posted by Schlimmbesserung at 5:22 PM on August 29, 2006

Wow. Cool.
posted by Toecutter at 5:40 PM on August 29, 2006

I haven't seen Screaming Trees since I was 15
posted by FeldBum at 6:02 PM on August 29, 2006

(Do they make anyone else sort of uncomfortable on some level?....my 'that ain't right' sense is vexed.)

No, not uncomfortable at all. In fact I think* they're great. I'd love to have one of those.

*The opinions presented here are not those of someone who has ever been accused of having good taste.
posted by lekvar at 6:22 PM on August 29, 2006

gourdgeous.
posted by Hat Maui at 7:44 PM on August 29, 2006

people think of the zanniest things! ZANNY!
posted by tarantula at 8:55 PM on August 29, 2006

Very cool. I want to try this now.
posted by fshgrl at 9:37 PM on August 29, 2006

     Al Gourd
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 10:05 PM on August 29, 2006 [1 favorite]

so now the 'beauty myth' extends to vegetables as well...the bottom-heavy gourd--faced with the endless covers of bon appetit featuring slender carrots, lissome legumes, and enhanced tomatoes--resorts to self-mutilation to gain acceptance...
posted by troybob at 10:43 PM on August 29, 2006

Now if somebody could just adapt the technique to improving this pursuit...
posted by pax digita at 5:10 AM on August 30, 2006 [1 favorite]

jonson, does your fascination with oddly-shaped gourds have anything to do with being raised on square hard-boiled eggs? ;)
posted by lagreen at 6:05 AM on August 30, 2006 [1 favorite]

Yes yes yes, this is great.
posted by OmieWise at 6:18 AM on August 30, 2006

lagreen, if they get chickens to LAY square eggs, everybody would be happy.

Except the chicken.
posted by Enron Hubbard at 6:19 AM on August 30, 2006

At one point, I had a link to a site that sold molds for squash, they were really simple; squares, triangles, hearts, and maybe a grumpy face. It's driving me nuts that I can't find the link.
posted by dejah420 at 1:11 PM on August 30, 2006

Huh. Not sure if this is the same site, but here's a link for you, Dejah
posted by jonson at 10:12 PM on September 5, 2006

That's them! Oh, thank you, thank you!
posted by dejah420 at 9:55 PM on September 6, 2006