Origami Tessellation 324.3.4 (Fractured)

Artist Statement: I was interested in speaking to the future of South Lake Union and was struck by the growth of biotech and high tech. At the same time, we have the newly improved South Lake Union park.  I was also interested in talking about nature. Fractal forms are common in nature, science, and art. A tessellation is a repetitive pattern, like a fractal. My goal was to speak to all three and this form seemed right.

The title is the specific tessellation or folding pattern that was used to derive the sculpture. It is a tessellation used by engineers to study buckling patterns of cylinders. It is theoretical math and in practice, the form wants to buckle because of the force on the sides. We “fractured” the form by making separate sections and then put it together to form a column that exists in physical space in the real world.

Location: Mercer Street at Boren Avenue North, in the median, Seattle WA  98109