Rachael Nee

Carbon Based Forms

Bird Pattern II

I use the sooty carbon trace left from the flame of a candle to make smoke drawings.

In the series ‘carbon based forms’ a parallel is drawn between carbon, often called the ‘backbone of life’ and origami.

Bird Pattern III

In both carbon and origami the evolution of life or form starts with the same building block of an atom or fold.

These follow a pattern of repetition, addition and revision to create the architecture of remarkably complex objects.

Insect Pattern IV

The drawings are based on the crease patterns that remain from unfolded origami models. The designs are then transferred to a laser cutter.

crease patterns

Bird IV

from one of the crease patterns previously illustrated

What excites me about the images is they are made with some of the things necessary to life: light, heat and carbon in the forms of soot and graphite.

Mollusc Pattern II

The following sequence is a progression from laser cut board to finished piece.

I use 5mm Canson conservation board, the laser allows me to cut shapes with an intricacy I could not do by hand.

Pieces are then separated out into a ‘jigsaw’ there can be

over sixty separate sections to each construction.

Tones are built up with powdered graphite

Progression 2

Each piece is then ‘smoked’ with a candle to leave a sooty carbon deposit.

Laser and candles bookmarking two ends of the technology spectrum.

The finished piece is then reassembled and glued back together.

Plane Pattern

Carbon Star

detail

The accuracy and repetition of laser cutting has also allowed me to be more experimental.

The following two works were made from the same pattern cut twice. The second piece was then rearranged to make a different piece.

carbon star II carbon star III

Insect Pattern II

Insect Pattern III

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