David Zelenka

Artist

Interactive Earth

Port Angeles, Washington, USA

David Zelenka enjoys teaching students in Port Angeles along the magnificent coast of the Olympic Peninsula. As an artist and web designer he began looking at how interference patterns generate beautiful designs. In 2005, David found that by using a particular spiral equation he could generate countless interesting designs. The equation he uses is: x= t*sin (t) - r*cos (t), y= t*cos (t) + r*sin (t). He calls it, "Plato's Spiral," because of the archetypal forms it contains. Since the patterns are based on the spiral, he likens the study of these forms to taking a hike in the forest or examining the creatures of intertidal ecosystems. How similar the patterns are to ferns, mosses, flowers, seedpods, seastars and sea anemones!

In the Design Jungle

00:02:30

David Zelenka, Interactive Earth

2017

https://youtu.be/QyTGxcj1OIM

Since producing a pattern generator tool in 2005, David has used it for designing and artistic inspiration. The equation used, x= t*sin (t) - r*cos (t), y= t*cos (t) + r*sin (t), is particularly generous with its designs: stars, waves, texture, leaves, mandalas, and of course, spirals. The resulting interference patterns produce phyllotaxis spirals and structures exhibiting a close relationship to Fibonacci's sequence. The pattern generator has been freely available online for many years allowing other artists to use the patterns for their work.