Furniture is unwittingly designed by street artists

An Israel-based design studio has created Street Capture, which turns wood that's been painted on by anonymous graffiti artists into contemporary furniture.

While graffiti may be considered an eyesore for some, others appreciate street art for its energy and authenticity, and it's already becoming commodified. Projects such as Rebel Nell have taken pieces of crumbling graffitied wall in Detroit and turned it into unique jewelry. Now an Israel-based design studio has created Street Capture, which turns wood that's been painted on by anonymous graffiti artists into contemporary furniture.

Conceived by Eran Shimshovitz and Ariel Zuckerman of Ariel Design, the project first fixes wooden boards to locations that are frequented by street artists. The boards are left to be scrawled and painted on before being returned to the studio. They're then cut up, treated and reassembled as pieces of furniture that feature genuine art from the streets of Israel. The project has so far developed tables, desks and cupboards out of the grungy art.

Watch the video to see the designers in action:

The project could simultaneously help consumers enjoy urban art in their homes, while also reducing the impact on public spaces. It also helps to preserve an often temporary artform for posterity. According to the designers, however, the artists themselves weren't informed of their intentions, which could raise issues of creative ownership. Perhaps the studio could split the revenue from these high-end pieces with the creators and communities they've come from? Could a similar idea work in your city?