Richard Harrington

artist
none
Berkshire County, Massachusetts

I've been fascinated by the perceptual relationship between objects and the shadows they cast for a long time. The simplex or tetrahedron is an efficient means of demonstrating how this stereoptic relationship works. Richard Harrington, March 2014.

Sierpinski Sieve
Sierpinski Sieve
16”x21”
Sierpinski Sieve, digital photograph of sculpture, 2009, Richard Harrington, photo credit Heinrich Hermann. Folded aluminum screen projected theater light and cast shadow. 16″x21″
2009

This three-dimensional projection of a Sierpinksi Sieve fractal generates moiré patterns as it randomly rotates on its horizontal axis. It is a set of 15 progressively larger tetrahedra made from three ¾″ edged cells (the smallest that can be assembled from the screen) to 1 1/2″, 3″, 6″, and finally three cells that are 1′ per edge. The diaphanous property of this material creates a stereoptic “dialogue” between the object and its shadow. This geometric progression also displays the chiral “handedness” of this structure- implying that a dual symmetrical mirror of the object can be built on its horizontal axis, and that two additional mirrored objects could be constructed on their vertical axes. Richard Harrington, March 2014.