200.5” W x 62.25” H (16.7’ x 5.19’)

Glass / Mirror / Stainless Steel / Aluminum

2020

 

 

Morpho Eugenia brings together 178 individual units of wall-mounted glass that acts as a reflective canvas to the environment that it inhabits. Pentagons, elongated diamonds and kite formations are aligned in a symmetrical, ‘butterfly print’ configuration that echoes the geometric outline of origami paper-folding.

 

Created in blown and press-molded glass, the interior surfaces within each piece are mirrored with silver. This coating, together with the external and internal facets that comprise the design, refract and cascade light,   that forever changes with its surroundings.

 

‘Morpho Eugenia’ directly refers to a genus of iridescent butterfly that literally means ‘beautiful’ and ‘shapely’. The title also alludes to A.S. Byatt’s first novella of Angels and Insects.

 

Techniques

 

Two glass methodologies were employed in the fabrication of Morpho Eugenia. Pentagon shapes with a faceted exterior and smooth ‘bubble-like’ interior are mold-blown within milled, multi-part graphite molds. Conversely, the diamond and kite formations have smooth exterior surfaces yet hold faceted, mirrored interiors. This aesthetic is created using graphite ‘press-molding’ techniques whereby molten glass is poured into a recessed mold and positive interior former is then pressed into the hot glass, creating a negative space.

 

Each glass component is hand-polished and backed with laser cut stainless steel using flexible, industrial strength lamination processes. Machined aluminum ‘standoff’ struts are adhered to each backing plate, allowing the glass components to safely and securely float 1” away from the wall. A plastic stencil allows for easy installation, guiding the eye to where each piece is systematically placed.

 

The alternating use of gray and white backing paint on each mirror creates subtle tonal shifts of silver and gold, breaking up the uniformity of pattern between each piece.

 

Morpho Eugenia took 8 months to create from conception to finalization.

 

 

About the Artist / Designers

 

Morpho Eugenia has been co-designed by Joanna Manousis, a British artist living and working between the United Kingdom and the United States, and Manousis has utilized glass as a key component in her work for the past 16 years. She often uses mirrored glass to engage the viewer’s gaze, drawing the participant into a state of reflection that is both literal and philosophical. Her award winning work is exhibited and collected internationally.

 

Gillespie uses computational design and digital fabrication tools along with his own hands to explore themes relating to pattern, form and light in variety of media. Computational design combines 3D computer modeling tools and programming languages to enable rapid generation of design variations. By combining the precision and accuracy of modern digital fabrication processes with handcraft, Gillespie achieves results that neither technique could achieve alone.