How to see a cloud(s)
Jan. - Apr. 2019 | Thesis Project | Art Installation
Overview
How to see a cloud(s) is the thesis project I completed for my MFA degree in Design and Technology program at Parsons School of Design. It is an art installation featuring a volumetric paper sculpture and a dual-channel video projection. As the sole creator of this piece, I looked into clouds as an example of natural fractal structure and used it as a point of departure to consider and explore the possibilities of artwork inspired by scientific theory. This piece was exhibited at the "Prism - MFADT Annual Thesis Show" in May 2019.
Domain
Fractal, Science, Art, Paper Sculpture, Projection Mapping, Video Production, Craftsmanship
Tools
Paper, Glue, Laser Cutting, Wire, Projector, Adobe Creative Suite, etc.
Context
Impetus: What Interests Me as An Artist


Significance: Why It Matters to All of Us
Concept Statement
What am I creating?
How to see a cloud(s) is an art installation featuring a hanging sculpture and a dual-channel video projection. It is meant to embody the infinity within a dynamic system driven by the fractal structure. I am looking into clouds as an example of natural fractal structure, using it as a point of departure to consider fractals in other aspects of the natural and manmade world, and exploring the possibility of artwork that uses scientific theory. I am also experimenting with the characteristics of various materials and media to build a poetic environment and convey philosophical insight. (If you'd be interested in more details, check out my paper here.)
What are the takeaways for my audience?
Final Piece

Production
Paper Sculpture
I aimed to represent the three core features of a natural fractal system—self-similarity, recursion and variation—in my methodology of making the sculpture and in the process of assembling it. I chose white paper as the primary material because it shares a close resemblance with natural clouds of being fragile and soft, while at the same time it still bears a certain degree of firmness qualifying the physicality of being a piece of sculpture. I laser-cut paper and folded it in the shape of a regular dodecahedron, which is “a polyhedron with twelve flat faces”, as the smallest element of the “cloud”. The reason why I chose dodecahedron among other three-dimensional figures, such as pyramids, cylinders, or cones, lies in its indigenous self-similarity and symmetry. Besides, being different from a sphere, dodecahedron’s angularity and surfaces enable a close and durable joint between two units. My choice of making some of these dodecahedrons solid and some hollow is meant to represent the variation in a natural fractal structure. I glued three dodecahedrons into a group, and then I glued all the groups together into a whole piece, representing the nature of repetition and accumulation.
Video Channel
