The D'Arcy Thompson Zoology Museum in Dundee commissioned British designer Daniel Brown to create the next in the series of his animated flowers that "grow" according to computer algorithms.
The museum commissioned the work for its permanent collection and specifically for its 'Renew Project', which is inspired by mathematical biologist D'Arcy Thompson's legacy and influence on the artistic world. Brown's designs show a three-dimensional image of flowers that appear to grow in a generative pattern, creating unique blooms derived from colours, patterns and forms found in the museum's collection of historical taxidermy and plant samples. Various plants and animals from the museum's collection informed the shape the digital plants grow into, while the surfaces of petals and leaves are decorated with patterns influenced by textures taken from the same sources.
Previous examples of the 'Flowers' series have been exhibited at the London Design Museum and a three-story-high projected version was commissioned by the Victoria & Albert as the entrance feature for their Decode - Digital Art Sensations exhibition (2009 - 2010). This new work represents a new phase of the series, utilising cutting-edge 3D technology that is more commonly used for computer games and cinema features, creating realistic-looking flowers that grow on screen like time-lapse documentary photography.
May 31, 2014