I've started a series of sculptures that depict consequential molecules.
It started with this piece, depicting a hydrocarbon molecule's transition from its liquid to its solid phase.
I chose thick acrylic for long life in direct sunlight. An array of LEDs inside each large and small atom fills it with light.
A structure of aluminum and stainless steel joins each atom at the locations where chemical bonds occur in these molecules.
The large spheres in Latent Energy correspond to carbon atoms. The small spheres correspond to hydrogen atoms. The solid form is characterized by a linear chain of carbon atoms, each of which has two hydrogen atoms attached to it.
The two small molecules on the lawn are both methane, the smallest hydrocarbon molecule, each with one carbon atom.
For Colorado State University, I created six smaller molecules in an array called Earth's Blanket. Here, I was thinking about the greenhouse effect that traps heat below the atmosphere.
The six molecules are water, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, and freon-12. These molecules are the most abundant greenhouse gases.
For this molecule sculpture, I wanted to program color sequences that show the electrostatic charge distribution on the surface of each molecule – showing each molecule as it looks to other molecules.
I've been imagining a caffeine molecule - perfect for a coffee shop.