Growth Patterns

Abstract

The presence of formulaic growth patterns such as fractals and the divine proportion in the botanical, animal and physical landscape inspire and intrigue me. Fractals are characterized by self-similarity, in which the whole form has roughly the same shape as the repeated smaller parts. The divine proportion is characterized by saying the whole is to the larger in exactly the same proportion as the larger is to the smaller. These two principles describe how forms in nature progress and grow in mathematical ways. In the natural world these principles can be seen in the way an onion grows in successive rings, how a bird's wing has large feathers that proportionately get smaller, and the way a wave materializes in the ocean. Using invention, imagination, and emulation with these organic design principles, I generate my own language of wearable and sculptural objects. My conscious choice of materials is a decision to have a low environmental impact, paying homage to my organic influences.