RE-CLAY-MATION PROJECT -– CLAY CAIRNS

RE-CLAY-MATION PROJECT -– CLAY CAIRNS by EUNIKA ROGERS

Whether one is watching a thunderstorm or looking up at a mighty tree - the experience of nature is one of awe.

And then the process is put into motion … A boulder falls and rolls down the mountain, then bounces onto dirt road before crashing into the river below. A few minutes later, you drive through to where the stone bounced, oblivious to the drama that has just taken place ...

Erosion - The process by which we all are worn away by the action of water, winds, waves and TIME. It is a recurring invisible cycle and we all are part of it.

I use the bi-product of this eroding process in my paintings - I paint with clay. For this project I am using clay to create cairns and track my creative path at this moment in time.

Cairns are stacked rock formations marking paths in remote landscapes. We mark our paths by different means, bringing into question - Where are we going? Are we on the right path? And do we want others to follow? It is a universal question we ask ourselves spiritually, but also as a society; politically, environmentally and intellectually. Cairns purpose is navigational but does one want to be followed or found? In my case I don’t want to leave a trace ...

My cairns rock structures are build out of clay (made up of eroded organic and inorganic material from remote past); I celebrate their presence and then watch them disintegrate; returning it back to the earth where it came from ... only to start the cycle again.

-Eunika Rogers

Jack Plantz

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.

MD Famous Artist