Magnetic Structure Prints
We took part in an exhibit at The McLeod Residence this summer. The exhibit was called Interactivity, and in addition to our previously installed work, McLeod Mirror, Reflection 1: See Yourself in Others, we added two new pieces: the Biomimetic Butterflies installation, and this series of prints, the Magnetic Structure Prints.
The Interactivity exhibit ran from July 6th to September 8th, 2007. A good time was had by all. The Mirrors are now part of the permanent collection at the McLeod Residence.
Eight Prints
Continuing with the theme of magnets within our Butterflies installation, we created a visual interpretation of magnetism itself. Woah. We started by programming a physics simulation based on the equations of motion for a charged particle in response to an electromagnet.
We chose to abstract that motion visually, using impossibly complex origami as a visual motif. The heart of each design involved creating a single ribbon of virtual paper per particle, where the shape of the ribbon was dictated by the particle's motion through time.
Processing to Maya
Robert Hodgin, a partner at the Barbarian Group, and aka Flight 404, did the initial programming in the Processing language.
Andrew Bell, another barbarian, then took over. Additional custom software was developed in Maya in order to realize these designs, and they were rendered using Mental Ray.
Finally, we created high-definition digital prints onto Duratran and displayed the prints in the six built-in light boxes in the main parlor of the McLeod Residence.
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