Shape / Perspective reflects my combined major, graphic/information design and math. I challenged myself to design a sculpture, rooted in geometry, that changes shape and pattern depending on the viewer’s perspective.
With help from my mentor, Professor of Discrete Geometry Abby Williams, I learned about complex geometries, such as the apeirogon—a shape with infinite sides. I made my sculpture, an Octapeirogon, with eight square-base helices (helical apeirogons).
I made my sculpture in Rhino 3D. While it’s simple to make an Octapeirogon with lines and cylinders, it was difficult to build with flat surfaces and clean corners. I spent countless hours perfecting the corner points for the final draft. Finally, I used Spline’s 3D model viewer to make an interactive model in Google Sites.
To physically create my sculpture, I utilized the 3D printers in the Ryder Makerspace and Creative Tech Lab. I printed two drafts: one with FDM plastic and another with the smaller (but much nicer) SLA resin printers. To create the final 8-inch-tall model, I printed it in two parts and superglued them together. For color, I applied vinyl stickers to each face.
Finally, I designed an animated event poster to promote my project and submitted my work to the Senior Show for Art + Design. The shapes and colors on the poster reference the different shapes and patterns of my sculpture, and the QR code links to the interactive 3D model. I was also able to photograph my sculpture with professional equipment in the Media Center.
Photo Credit: Rongrong (Juno) Zhu