Yvette Kaiser Smith – laser-cut art
From crocheted fiberglass to laser-cut acrylic sheet.
In November 2015, I began planning repairs on the front wall of my studio. One problem led to another and I was unable to use the space where all the fiberglass work happens for a full year and a half. Mid 2016, I was introduced to a laser cutter and began developing a body of wall-based works, using laser-cut acrylic sheets separated by vinyl spacers. Still relying on the math structure, here, simple geometric shapes, panel placement, cut-outs and/or engraved lines plot numerical values.
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In the laser-cut acrylic pi x 5s series, each work systematically interprets, or maps, a different five-digit sequence from the number pi. Here, the values of four digits determine the diameters of half-circles cut from small panels which then overlap to create a square. The fifth digit moves one panel by a specific increment. Because, on the grand scale, no set of digits in pi repeats, as I expand this series, or any series, by following the digits in sequence, I can create an infinite number of unique works.
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New systems are inspired not only by math but also by available materials. Availability of mirrored acrylic and the fact that e has a palindrome near its beginning (2.718281828) led to the Palindrome series. Using the sequence 8281828, values of digits determine diameters of circles cut from three transparent acrylic sheets, stacked with spacers and aligned on centers, to indicate the first 828. The value of 1 is engraved into the base sheet. Mirror reflections of physical cutouts represent the last three digits.
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Yvette Kaiser Smith – laser-cut art
