Jon Link and Mick Bunnage are writers, illustrators and cartoonists, and well known as the creative minds behind Modern Toss. One of their well-received works of art include the Periodic Table of Swearing (originally available in the form of a giclee print, a printed towel and magnets) is now available in the form of an interactive coffee table (yes, a piece of furniture) thanks to a partnership with Clay (a design and production company that turns conceptual design ideas into a reality).
The Periodic Table of Swearing is a machine with more than 100 brightly coloured buttons which unleash hilariously creative “bad words” when pressed. The cuss words vary in nature from tamefully offensive to quite wickedly jaw-dropping. The machine itself comprises more than 100 meters of cabling, and 300 soldered joints from laser-cut MDF. The fruit machine buttons were carefully chosen after much deliberation about a touch-screen option, but in the end, the tactile quality of the machine is what makes it a hit. In an interview with Wired.co.uk, Adrian Ward (co-founder of Clay) said “Pushing a button and getting a sound is one of the simplest, most enjoyable forms of interaction we could think of. The swearing is a bonus.” We couldn’t agree more.
