Concept

Inspired by cymatics. Grains of sand arrange themselves into complex geometric patterns according to audio frequencies. Wanted to create a shape that is repeated in circular array so that it can be tessellated from all angles. The geometry is derived from a single line. This polyline is then echoed around a grid to create the outline of the final tessellation.

Technical Process

With computer program Rhino and plug in Grasshopper, a script was created that by inserting a curve it would be rotated and mirrored around a hexagonal grid to create tessellating pattern. The final extrusion was then 3D printed and  a plaster mold was created from this shape. Slip cast had to be observed due to the possible problems of a corner of the shape catching with the clay shrink rate,  the walls had to be larger than a certain distance otherwise the edges would crack. The pieces were then cleaned and bisque fired. Then glazed with a brush on glaze and dipped in clear gloss glaze, these were then fired a final time to produced  the finished product. Different techniques were tested with each piece, one had had colour glaze added to the mold prior to slip casting and another was marbled by mixing coloured slip with the normal slip.