Pattern 5, Plasma cut steel wall sculpture by Anna Frlan
Pattern 5, Caterpillar Nest and Tree, 2024. Sculpture made from plasma-cut steel with a lacquer finish. This wall-mounted piece of 24 x24" hangs about 2.5" from the wall on the steel hooks provided, allowing clearcut shadows to add depth and contrast to the intricate steel patterns.
Patterns abound in nature, from water rippling around river rocks, to a spiraling tree emerging from an acorn. Fractals determine many of these complex patterns and can also inform innovative design in the constructed environment. I use a manufactured medium, steel, to explore these intrinsic building blocks. My Pattern series is an exploration of what happens when two patterns intersect. Will one eclipse the other, or will they comingle and create a new pattern?
My works are drawings on steel. Instead of using a pencil, I plasma-cut the lines with a handheld torch. Negative space drops away, leaving an intricate pattern of lines. It is important that the steel is transformed, becoming light and delicate, in contrast to its industrial roots.