Jack Plantz is an artist and designer based in Telluride Colorado.Jack uses generative design and digital fabrication techniques to create forms inspired by the natural world. By writing algorithms that simulate aspects of natural processes and environments, Jack can allow natural forms to ‘grow’ in a digital environment, leading to complex and organic designs that feel as if they were alive and shaped by evolution. Jack’s work explores how this complexity emerges from simplicity.
This project is a series of 3D printed hanging lamps inspired by the growth of coral reefs. They are created using an algorithm that mimics some of the goals and constraints that real corals are subject to as they grow. The program continuously attempts to maximize the length of a curve while minimizing its overall area footprint. This is analogous to how corals need to maximize their surface area to gather nutrients from the water, while competing for space with other coral. These competing goals result in complex and intricate geometry that feels organic and alive. Each time the program is run, the algorithm finds a new solution to the problem, creating a unique form for each lamp.
