Chrysalis

‘Chrysalis’ is an installation of three large groupings of forms suspended in the upper 12’ of a 21’ tall atrium. Composed of over 650 individual pieces laser-cut from plexiglass, the installation plays with mass and light in the air above visitors. Dichroic film and frosted surfaces add luminosity, color and reflection as a viewer’s perspective shifts when moving across the floor. I used mathematical sequencing and rotational positioning in producing shapes that invoke both the specificity and the grace evident in much of nature’s design. These qualities evoke the power of nature to transform life, not unlike water crystals gathering in clouds, a caterpillar's metamorphosis into an entirely new form or a seed holding precious information about what is to be.

The overall installation space is 21’h x 26’l x 17’w and the suspended elements weigh approximately 350 lbs in total. The budget was approximately $55K, inclusive of updates to lighting and atrium wall resurfacing. Completed in 2025 at NIACC, Peirce Administration Building, Mason City, Iowa.