Showing off the versatility of acrylic is this sculpture by Aaron R. Thomas. For the other 980 words, see above.
This sculpture is titled "Simplicity". It is made of a piece of cut off acrylic This sculpture showcases the beauty of the material itself and how it can transform a simple form into a beautiful object.
One of the reasons that designers like to use acrylic is because of the way it handles light. Unlike glass, acrylic actually holds and transfers light instead of reflecting it. This makes the material appear to be lit from within. Light is released from the material on the edges and also along any area that has been frosted. Above is a sculpture by Aaron R. Thomas made from stacked acrylic and colored resins, chiseled and polished to a shine.
In addition to being incredibly light compared to glass, acrylic is also incredibly strong. It is so strong that any thickness over 1 1/2" is bulletproof (and ironically called bulletproof glass). Above is a closeup of a sculpture Aaron made with a hammer and chisel out of some bulletproof glass from a bank.
I found this article in the International Herald Tribune. It shows an interesting study in material choice in design. Below is an excerpt:All of the chairs are identical in size and shape, but there's one important difference between them. Each chair is made from a different material. One's marble. Another's redwood. The others are in concrete, acrylic, wickerwork, attaché-case metal, polyurethane foam, felt and even hay.
The result is intriguing. Each material transforms the appearance of the chair, creating what seems like an optical illusion. The transparent acrylic chair seems to melt away to nothingness. The marble one looks chunkier, and the redwood chair chunkier still. That's exactly what their designer, Naoto Fukasawa, wanted to happen when he hit upon the idea of creating a series of chairs to illustrate the impact of a single design decision - the choice of material.
