Woven vibration: Confluent Patterns
Year
Material
Technique
2025
Cotton warp with Black copper wire
Jacquard
Merge 1: ( 2451 Hz x 592 Hz) 28” x 22”
Merge 2: (1553 Hz x 1657 Hz) 28” x 26”
Merge 3: (1960 Hz x 1657 Hz) 28” x 20”
CONFLUENT PATTERNS investigates the material translation of sound
phenomena through textile structures, specifically exploring how Chladni figures,
acoustic wave patterns first documented by physicist Ernst Chladni in the 18th
century, can be reimagined through contemporary weaving processes.
This investigation operates at the intersection of physics, digital manipulation, and
material exploration. The project employs a three-phase methodology beginning with
analysis and digital transformation, where original Chladni patterns created through
sound vibrations organizing particles on resonating surfaces are digitally captured and
manipulated. Multiple acoustic formations are systematically layered and merged to
create complex composite structures while preserving their mathematical integrity.
The second phase involves digital-material translation, with the TC2 jacquard loom serving
as the technological interface between digital composition and material manifestation.
The final phase centers on material investigation through the deliberate combination of
black copper wire with cotton weft, creating both visual contrast and material dialogue.
The metallic elements introduce conductivity and dimensional qualities that reference
the electromagnetic properties of sound, while the cotton provides structural stability.
This work examines several critical concerns, beginning with sensory translation. The project navigates the relationship between digital processing and material
craft, creating a conversation between algorithmic precision and material contingency.
Sound
vibrations, typically transient and invisible, are captured and transformed into enduring
material objects, challenging conventional temporal experiences of acoustic phenomena.
The work operates in the productive space between scientific documentation and artistic
interpretation, neither purely objective nor entirely subjective, It contributes to contemporary
discourse around materiality in digital culture and the revival of analog processes in
technological contexts. It references historical scientific visualization methods while employing
current digital tools and traditional craft techniques. This positioning creates a temporal
dialogue that connects past investigative methodologies with present technological capabilities.
The resulting textile objects function simultaneously as documentation of physical
phenomena, artistic interpretations of acoustic principles, and independent material
explorations that invite multisensory engagement. Through this multilayered approach,
the project offers new perspectives on how we might experience, document, and
materialize the invisible architectures of sound that constantly surround us.