One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Treasure: Can It! The Vipp Charity Auction Of Artist Designed Cans.

Design Within Reach is co-hosting CAN IT!, a charity auction to benefit DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS.

CAN IT! is being produced by Danish design company Vipp in celebration of their 70th anniversary. This noteworthy event will feature an exhibition and auction of Vipp trash bins that have been transformed by 35 leading figures in the worlds of architecture, art, design, fashion and entertainment.



The 35 customized Vipp bins will be on display for the public and advance bidding at the DWR: Tools for Living store in New York City, from October 15 to 28, and will be auctioned at a gala event hosted by DWR, Vipp, DIFFA and model Veronica Webb at DWR’s flagship SoHo location on October 28.

All proceeds from the auction will be donated to DIFFA to support their important work.

Thanks to Vipp, I have images of all the fab trash cans up for auction here. The descriptions were provided by the artists/designers. Those without descriptions are because none were given.

Cole Garrett and Yves Behar (Fuse Project):

Cole Garett: "Our VIPP bin is inspired by the 30 foot-long bamboo mural we painted for clients and at our loft, featured on the front of the New York Times Home Section, HGTV and Gazelland. Bamboo is symbolic of good fortune and the leaves made of recycled cups represent peace and tranquility."

"PAY ATTENTION by Yves Behar (in memory of Franz Schnass) for DIFFA and Vipp: "The orange street-cone like design says “Pay Attention” to the world around you, it’s people, it’s challenges, it’s potential...Design is a way to “Pay Attention” too, especially to the less fortunate of us that are sick, diminished physically, and whose spirit shows us that courage and pride in the face of adversity is a gift that shines on all of us. So..”Pay Attention”.

Robert Geller:

"To transform this bin I recreated the tough yet romantic aesthetic of my collections for this very practical object. When I began this process I was designing my spring-summer 2010 collection and translated the mood of the collection to the bin. We covered the entire bin in washed leather and accessorized it with aged chains, worn-in leather and chiffon flowers. The bin suggests a sense of decaying beauty which is a look I am very into."

Robert Verdi:

"The waste bin is WHITE, and you put TRASH in it, or ON it, in this case."

Nigel Barker:

"Trash is normally described as unwanted waste material and therefore your trash-can should be your best friend so to speak...... I have spent weeks up on the ice in Northern Canada and the shot we wrapped the Vipp bin in is called 'Frozen Cauldron.' It depicts the change in landscape as the beautiful, perfect, icy landscape metamorphoses into a frozen explosion before it melts away to nothing."

Veronica Webb:

"Taking my cue from the lean iconic lines of the VIPP can, the “giraffe” women of South Africa’s Ndebele Tribe who adorn their necks with stacks of golden rings immediately came to mind. Africa as much as our own back yard is the epi center of beauty and the epi center of the fight against AIDS. I was able to realize my full vision with the help of two very talented artists, Mary Davis, interior designer and recent Parson's graduate and world renowned photographer Nigel Barker. I am grateful for their help and contribution in the global fight against AIDS. "- Veronica Webb.

Shelly Sabel:

"Lite-Bright trash can. Materials: Vipp pedal bin, lite-bright pegs, electro luminescent flatlight, perforated steel, tie-down straps. This piece is inspired by the 1970's Hasbro toy - lite-bright, late sixties, early seventies graphics and psychedelic art."

Olaf Breuning:

Color bin - "The inspiration is the work with the four colors, red, blue, yellow and green...nothing more. The funny thing is that the works end up referencing the abstract painters from the last century. I guess there is just a few options to do with four colors...in case of the bin they just drip down. In other words...there is not really a big concept about it. I just want to make it colorful and happy."

Lady Bunny:

"I knew somehow I wanted to put my bin "in drag." I toyed with the idea of adding a wig, but an over-sized eye did the trick and I'm pleased that it resembles a bin from H. R. Puf 'N' Stuf or perhaps from Peewee's Playhouse. Of course, since the eye is blue and with long lashes and even a little bloodshot, the bin was modeled after my own blue eyes and lash-heavy make-up style. Billy Erb helped me execute the design for my piece so I'm grateful to him for executing my design so perfectly. And as anyone has seen me perform can attest to, This "lady" certainly knows a thing or two about trash!"

Mike Perry:

Before Time.- "A hot bed of activity constantly changing and growing creating new patterns and textures. This is how it all started. Elements moving and changing to create compositions."

Sune Wagner:

It's called "No. 73"- "It was essentially inspired by Warhol and Pollock. The idea was to have Warhol do a Pollock, factory style. The industrial silver mixed with black works as a direct link to New York city circa 1960's, some years after Pollock's untimely death."

David Rockwell:

"With the Vipp bin, I wanted to reinvent and invigorate the everyday household ritual of opening and closing the trash bin. When you press the foot pedal of the Vipp bin, the can lights up with 1100 LEDs. Just by bringing an element of surprise and delight to that act transforms it into a small-scale celebration."

Kiril Kirov Razortooth:

"The bin was inspired by the first decade of the new millennium, eerie reminiscent to the beginning of the XX century. The bin is kind of a modern Pandora’s “box” and the Siamese twins represent Yin-Yang. Unfortunately the opposites are very much alike and our good side is still well concealed. We like to believe as in the legend that at the very bottom still lays hope."

Helena Christensen and Izhar Patkin:


Rikke Korff The Furies and The Selby:


PUNK DOTS: RIKKE KORFF & THE FURIES "Dot patterns are a much loved signature of The Furies, referencing the playfully feminine classic Polka Dot and the importance of the circle in traditional Asian decorative arts. For the VIPP bin, we amped up the Rock n' Roll spirit of The Furies by embellishing our dot pattern with hardcore metal spikes, which explode off the mysterious matte black surface."

The Selby: "The can was designed using my watercolor paintings of animals including many wearing looks from Fall 2009 runway shows, styled by Aya Kanai. Hard core fashion fans may be able to guess what some of the looks are!"

Yoko Ono:

"IMAGINE PEACE: Think PEACE, Act PEACE, Spread PEACE. Yoko Ono '09"

Richard Colman:


Magnus Berger and Michael Aram:

Magnus Berger: "One of the ideas of The Last Magazine is to have the reader decide whether it's frame able or disposable. I've been to friends houses where they have used our magazine as art on the wall which is of course very flattering. But I'm also into the idea of how street advertising posters look on scaffolding in New York. Especially when they get weathered and torn. I guess this is somewhere in between."

Michael Aram: "In my work, I dwell on what I call “integrated design”, by which I mean that the “Object” is the “Sculpture”. The fantasy for me is that the object is so perfect in its form, that it’s function, although essential, is an added bonus- or in the case of the bin, almost a surprise! In world mythology, Pears represent bounty and gluttony. What more perfect for a receptacle of waste than a golden symbol of excess? I imagine the enchanted forest of my dreams where all we needed would be found on the forest floor, and each step would reveal one wondrous object after another, which we could gather to make our houses."

Swathi Ghanta/ KidRobot:


Camilla Staerk:

"For my Spring '07 collection, which was called 'walk with me' and was inspired by the girls in David Lynch's 'Twin Peaks', I developed the accessories from a 'liquid lace' material which I created by fusing lace with rubber. My VIPP can is based on this thought.""

Jes Gordon:


James Charles:

"“Can It” - got me thinking about Rubbish/Trash and I realized how all our office trash cans were always full!! The inspiration is to get smaller trash cans for less trash! Not larger Trash Cans for more stuff to throw away!!! Less is truly more in this day and age!"

John Baldessari and Jonas Hecksher Etypes:

John Baldessari: "I'm always unsure about throwing things away. Because by nature i'm a recycler and pac rat. I feel certain i'm not the only one in the world with this characteristic. Also, i think we should learn to recycle like other countries in the world."

Evette Rios:


Avi Adler and Ami James:


David Stark:


Lady Pink:

"I've been painting brick-women covered in colorful graffiti for years, nude masonry monuments lovingly vandalized. They represent the solid inner strength all women have underneath. I also paint brick texture on objects and apply my beloved friends graffiti names on the brick, a tribute to those living and dead."

And some more sedate versions from designers (left to right) Calvin Klein, Oscar De La Renta and Ralph Lauren:


Calvin Klein: "In considering the Vipp bin design, we took inspiration from the wool elements in our Fall 2009 Men's Collection. This wool overcoat, for example, is the epitome of luxury and comfort. These elements also carry over to our Home Collection and designs. By covering the Vipp bin in our wool Kravet fabric, the piece blends seamlessly into any Calvin Klein room."

Oscar de La Renta: "The inspiration for our bin is a striped fabric from Oscar de la Renta’s upcoming line of fabrics for Lee Jofa."

Ralph Lauren: "Inspired by Vipp's timeless design integrity and quality craftsmanship, Ralph Lauren adds an unexpected layer of luxury with chic black alligator and refined silver accents."

The 35 customized Vipp bins will be on display for the public and advance bidding at the DWR: Tools for Living store in New York City, from October 15 to 28, and will be auctioned at a gala event hosted by DWR, Vipp, DIFFA and model Veronica Webb at DWR’s flagship SoHo location on October 28.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is not the first charity auction put on by Vipp, be sure to see the great pieces from past Vipp Auctions here.


Be sure to check out the some trash cans from Vipp charity auction of years past here.

You have read this articlecharity art auction / charity auction / Helena Christensen and Vipp / Vipp designer trash cans / Vipp products with the title One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Treasure: Can It! The Vipp Charity Auction Of Artist Designed Cans.. You can bookmark this page URL http://rarwrites.blogspot.com/2009/10/one-man-trash-is-another-man-treasure.html. Thanks!

Write by: Arek - Tuesday, October 13, 2009