Corpus Vitreum — Denise Pelletier

Corpus Vitreum (Hidden Order), 2014

This permanently sited commissioned work was created for the interior foyer of the New London Hall life sciences/computer sciences building at Connecticut College. Slip cast and hand built porcelain forms, some created using computer-aided design and machining processes, are based on plants from the College arboretum and antique science glass found in the closets of the historic building. Steel pipe mimics a network of conduit and ductwork throughout the building, exposed and disappearing into hidden recesses within the stone walls, like an organ system that feeds vital matter and energy to areas of the body. Self-replicating, fractal, and cellular automata structures combine with sensuous forms and surfaces, suggesting simulations of plant life, circulatory systems, cloud formations, and complex data visualizations.