DEAD MEDIA: ARTIST CREATES SKULL OUT OF OBSOLETE VHS

If you're ever struggling to find a use for your old VHS tapes you might want to take a tip from this innovative artist. Noah Scalin has turned his obsolete videos into a veritable art attack, forming the shape of a skull using 497 pieces of dead media. At first glance, the work appears to be a jumbled mess of old tapes, broken plastic and tangled film but on closer inspection the form of a human skull literally comes to life. The work of art, which measures 20ft by 9ft, has been carefully constructed to form an optical illusion meaning the skull only comes into view when the piece is viewed from a certain angle. Artist Noah, who created the work, entitled simply Dead Media, for the TCC Visual Arts Center in Portsmouth, Virginia, is well known for his love of skulls having created the popular Skull-A-Day blog which seeks out the human skeleton in art and everyday life. Dead Media was created especially for its venue and is on display until November 1, when it will be dismantled and used to create new artworks by the students of Tidewater Community College. Built in the style of the skull in Holbein's The Ambassadors, the piece was created with old tapes donated by friends and culled from Noah's personal collection.

Other great stories
BENGAL TIGER PLANS ATTACK ON UNSUSPECTING DEER

SNEAKING slowly into the water, this Bengal tiger plans a vicious attack on three unsuspecting deer .

WEDDING CAKE FAIL

COULD this be the most distastrous wedding cake fail EVER? Most brides opt for a traditional tiered white wedding cake decorated with delicate pink roses and lace for their big day .

SEEING DOUBLE - A TWO HEADED TURTLE BORN AT TEXAS ZOO

The San Antonio Zoo in Texas has welcomed a bizarre new addition - a two-headed turtle named Thelma and Louise .

SHY SEAL HIDES BEHIND ITS FLIPPER

HIDING behind its flipper, this little seal comes over a little camera shy .

FRIENDLY TOAD READY FOR HIS CLOSE UP

STARING eagerly into the camera, this little toad is full of curiosity .

FRILLED LIZARD SINGS FOR THE CAMERA

A frilled lizard appears to be belting out a tune as it sits in a tree with its mouth open wide .

SMILEY GECKO POSES FOR THE CAMERA

WITH A wide smile plastered across his face, this little gecko is ready for his close up .

POLAR BEAR PLAY

WITH SNOW COVERING the ground around them, these two polar bears play fight .

PUTIN'S TINY ARMY 

Some parents would gasp at the thought of their children playing with a toy gun, but these Russian children are actually encouraged to take up real arms .

ADORABLE BABY ORANGUTAN PLAYS WITH MUM

TUGGING at his exhausted mum's ears, a beautiful baby orangutan refuses to settle for a nap as he begins a game of peek-a-boo .

UNUSUAL FRIENDSHIP

MAKING himself at home, this little snail perches happily on top of this frog's head .

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE BUG KIND

THIS alien-like bug would look more at home in outer-space but it can actually be found wriggling around here on Earth .