By: John Simon
Where should I begin when talking about Hunter S. Thompson and Ralph Steadman. These men created a new form of journalism, a new way of looking at everything. They brought new ideas into light and spoke proudly about them. They gave the freaks and weirdos a voice and a communal connection.
These fine traveling souls inspired many to not just think outside of the box but to take the box, shred it apart and make something unseen and unheard of. They inspired the very essence of inspiration itself. That flowing aura of inspiration has led to countless works, even appearing in modern music videos and song lyrics. There’s an abundance of fan art spawning adaptations of scenes recreated using everything from animals to Muppets. Even with all that, I found a few pieces of art and thought they were rather unique, and worth writing and sharing about.
The first piece of artwork I came across was interesting, beautifully crafted, and totally workable. Not to mention I am an avid supporter of NORML.
The above is a miniature bust of Hunter S. Thompson from the forever immortalized “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”. This little bust packs a punch though, not only being a great representation of Hunter, but also as a working pipe. This sweet little pipe was given to me as a gift from my wife to complement my home bar, affectionately named “The Fear and Loathing Inn”.
There was also another variant of this artful piece, pictured below.
Both of these incredible feats of craftsmanship, as well as many other characters, are available for purchase from their creators shop here at WOOFterrapipe
“Full functional hand crafted ceramic pipe made from earthen clay and fired. Vivid color patterns make this pipe truly unique and one of a kind.”
Agreed.
Now even with those incredible pieces, I still kept myself seeking more. My home bar, again, is themed very Gonzo fan boy, and I have an entire wall covered in Flying Dog beer 6 pack Ralph Steadman artwork. I felt it was a creative idea, not wanting to throw Ralph’s fine art away, however this next ingenious person found many uses I could have never dreamed of.
MindysBeerGear is another Etsy.com shop where the Gonzo Inspiration is definitely seen with the recreation and redefinition of up-cycled 6 pack Steadman art.
This original creation is an awesome wallet. I have one of these too. They hold up pretty good.
“The outer surface is wrapped in clear vinyl keeping the cardboard artwork safe. It is water-resistant, but not water-proof. This is a very durable and functional piece of beer gear.”
As if that weren’t cool enough, there’s more.
Check out this sweet cuff bracelet…
…And can’t forget this lady wallet.
These are only a few odd examples of the Gonzo Inspiration that courses through the lovers, the dreamers, the re-imaginers that have become since being inspired by Hunter S. Thompson and his works. On a personal note, there’s a million or more of us inspired by you Hunter, and a million plus more will follow. Hunter is one of the main influences that drove me to write this article right now. To share the collective joy we share for giving us freaks and geeks a place in the world.
Gonzo Inspiration, your inspiration, will lead to more innovation, and hopefully-and more importantly- lead to minds that transcend the current status quo and embrace that One Love for humanity alike.
Too see more from the above mentioned artists please click on the link below.
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