john edmark's 3D printed strobe-animated 'blooms' move like magic

these 3D printed sculptures by artist john edmark mesmerize in their mathematical and mobile magnificence. ‘blooms’ draw from the numerical properties found in nature, like spiral patterns commonly seen in sunflowers, pinecones, and cacti. the kinetic objects are spun and animated as single, self-contained sculptures, unlike a 3D zoetrope, which mobilizes a sequence of small changes to a particular form. 

edmark explains the project in more detail: the bloom’s animation effect is achieved by progressive rotations of the golden ratio, phi (ϕ), the same ratio that nature employs to generate the spiral patterns we see in pinecones and sunflowers. the rotational speed and strobe rate of the bloom are synchronized so that one flash occurs every time the bloom turns 137.5º (the angular version of phi). each bloom’s particular form and behavior is determined by a unique parametric seed I call a phi-nome (/fī nōm/). 

project info:

creative consultant: terrence tessaro mcardle
filming: charlie nordstrom
music: bryan barcinas

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