[NetBehaviour] Hyperbolic crochet coral reef.

marc garrett marc.garrett at furtherfield.org
Thu Sep 13 15:37:56 CEST 2007


Hyperbolic crochet coral reef.

The Institute For Figuring is crocheting a coral reef: a woolly 
celebration of the intersection of higher geometry and feminine 
handicraft, and a testimony to the disappearing wonders of the marine 
world. Designed and curated by IFF co-directors: Christine and Margaret 
Wertheim.

One of the acknowledged wonders of the natural world, the Great Barrier 
Reef stretches along the coast of Queensland like a psychadelic serpent, 
a riotous profusion of color and form unparalleled on our planet. But 
global warming and agricultural pollutants so threaten this fragile 
monster that scientists now believe the reef will be dead in 30 years. 
As a homage to the Great One, the Wertheims - who grew up in Queensland 
- have instigated a project to crochet a woolen reef. Using the 
techniques of hyperbolic crochet discovered by mathematician Daina 
Taimina, the Institute has been evolving a wide taxonomy of reef-life 
forms - loopy "kelps", fringed "anemones", and curlicued "corals." 
Though the process that brings these models into being is algorithmic, 
endless permutations of the underlying formulae result in a constantly 
surprising panoply of shapes. The quality of yarn, style of stitch and 
tightness of the crochet all affect the finished model so that each is 
as individual as a living organism. The reef is made up of various 
sub-reefs, each with its own colors and styling and each evoking a 
particular strata of marine life: the kelp section (green/grey), coral 
section (orange), and anemone section (blue/black). Like its biological 
counterparts, the crochet reef grows slowly: each piece is hand-made and 
individually thought out.

more...
http://www.theiff.org/reef/index.html



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