Powers of Ten-Final

Project statement:

This piece connects the story of where one element, Aluminum, is found in the world around us. It allows us to see it from the molecular state, to the human scale, and finally to its creation in a cosmic explosion.

Reflection statement:

In an attempt to explain the intricate processes of our world, Charles and Ray Eames’ film, “The Powers of Ten” brought science to the masses. It shows the relationships between objects in our universe from the molecular level to the scale of the cosmos. This film caused me to think about many ideas including scale (micro to macro), one person’s place in the universe, and the age of information and technology.

With this idea in mind, I wanted to trace the story of a specific element that is around us all the time and something we use as designers. Aluminum is the most prevalent metal found in the Earth’s crust and is used to make countless items in our world. My physical response to the “Powers of Ten” shows aluminum at the molecular scale with the structure of its atom. Next it shows objects that are built from aluminum at the human scale. Because aluminum can be produced so quickly, it is used for a wide range of items, from a soda cans to a plane construction. The last item represents a supernova explosion, which is the moment when all elements are created and spread across the universe.

I’ve created this 3D piece to create more of an understanding of where the world around us comes from. Just as the Eames’ film did, I wanted to simplify the complicated systems of nature and play with the idea of scale. This piece brings all three representations of aluminum to a consistent size that can be seen with the human eye.