People are increasingly fascinated by the intricacies of how things work. How exactly does this ribeye get from the farm to my plate? What’s this ancient smartphone substitute? And what’s inside this experimental new phone? So it’s surprising that most people take for granted the obsessive design behind a venerated home appliance like Dyson’s new DC65 Animal vacuum. Photographer Todd McLellan, however, is creating art that explores the inner workings of everyday items.
Undressing a Dyson
As an inspired continuation to his Things Come Apart photo book, McLellan dismantled Dyson’s latest innovation to reveal a beauty often ignored. He says that the goal of his photography is “trying to understand at a rudimentary level how [everyday objects] work.” McLellan said that shooting the “gloss plastic with a nice splash of color shaped with both sharp and soft edges” of the Dyson DC65 Animal was reminiscent of photographing a sports car. This is one sleek, sexy vacuum.
To fully appreciate the design of a machine like the DC65, dissection is essential. Dyson engineers pride themselves on an unflinching resolve to improve their machines categorically. McLellan says that he was aware of this sentiment as he took the device apart: “What you see from the inside really tells the story about the love that the company has put into the product. The Dyson, I could tell, was created with a lot of thought…it’s not something that was just stuffed in a plastic shell.”
This commitment to perfection is integral to Dyson’s design process — founder, James Dyson, cycled through 5,127 prototypes before putting the first Dyson to market. McLellan notes that we often forget about this all-encompassing work happening behind the scenes: “Almost everyone I talk to about the objects I have taken apart says, ‘I can’t believe how many parts there are in this.’ That right there tells me that they have taken their thought process one step further than just simply seeing it as a tool or gadget.” But one gaze at the Dyson DC65―in its confettied, abstract form—and “they see the beauty in design from the inside.”
A Tactical Cleaning Weapon
For those not so hung up on inner beauty, the DC65's impressive form is paired with tactical cleaning function. A peek at the vacuum’s innards reveals a slew of improvements over its DC41 model counterpart. Apart from remodeled cyclones that elicit more airflow than ever, the DC65 comes equipped with a brushbar that packs 25 percent more power than its previous incarnation—not to mention reconfigured bristles designed to dig into your carpet with a prospector’s zeal.
The DC65 is also equipped with Radial Root Cyclone™ technology to maximize suction power, and outfitted with a bin made from ABS polycarbonate material (typically used in riot shields and crash helmets) and self-adjusting cleaner heads that remove dust on any imaginable surface. In addition to being a cleaning powerhouse, the DC65 is expertly designed to reach obtuse, elusive spaces. With a thin-framed soleplate allowing for up-close cleaning of baseboards, the machine’s components are configured to avoid obstructions. Best of all, the DC65 has an instant-release hose and wand set that can stretch up a flight of stairs.
Ultimately, it should be noted while gazing at its sprawled parts, that this is as much a pretty machine as a functional one. Head here to learn more about Dyson’s fleet of innovative appliances.
Bogar Alonso is Brooklyn-based entrepreneurial generalist who writes and edits stories about tech, economics, and internet culture.
This post is a sponsored collaboration between Dyson and Studio@Gawker.