Lachlan Turczan’s Cymatic Watergrams – COOL HUNTING®

Beauty emergent from the the intersection of art, technology and nature

In the creative expanse where technology meets art, Lachlan Turczan‘s innovative Cymatic Watergrams stand out as a mesmerizing synthesis of sound, light and water. Derived from the same foundation presented at Milan Design Week 2023, as part of Google’s “Shaped by Water” installation, Turczan’s work captures the ephemeral wonder of sound waves transformed into visual art. This pioneering process not only highlights the inherent beauty of natural phenomena but also showcases the potential of technology to reinterpret, decode and visualize the world around us in stunningly artistic ways.

The genesis of Cymatic Watergrams lies in the ambition to document the direct recordings of Turczan’s cymatic sculptures—works that are not tangible in the traditional sense, they are fleeting, shaped by the interaction of sound waves with water. Turczan’s method involves the use of water as a “liquid lens” to bend and scatter light across photosensitive paper, creating exposures that are quite literally shaped by sound. The water, influenced by audio frequencies ranging from 20 to 60hz, generates wave patterns that are then captured in a still image. The lower end of this frequency spectrum produces large, undulating patterns, while higher frequencies result in intricate networks of smaller wavelets.

A crucial aspect of this artistic process is the precise control over the conditions under which the photographic paper is exposed to light. Each Watergram is captured with a 1/4000th of a second burst of light which is needed to freeze a moment of the water’s oscillation. This swift snapshot ensures that the intricate details of the wave patterns are preserved. Additionally, the angle at which light is introduced to the water plays a significant role in the outcome of the final print. Steep angles of light minimize the shadows cast by the waves, creating a flatter image, whereas oblique angles enhance the depth of the image by casting elongated shadows from the crests of the waves.

Turczan’s work not only provides a visual representation of sound but also invites viewers to contemplate the unseen forces that shape our natural world. Through meticulous experimentation with light, sound and water, Turczan offers a unique lens through which we can observe the subtle yet profound ways in which these elements interact. His work is a vivid reminder of the beauty that lies in the transient and the ephemeral, captured in moments of artistic innovation and technological prowess.

Prints are available starting at $300.