The Gyroid

Cool and useless. That's my definition of art. These very cool 3D mathematical sculptures by Bathsheba Grossman are very nerdy art. Cleverly manufactured by a new type of 3D printing, they manifest bizarre mathematical notions. Bathsheba starts with her own complicated CAD designs, which she then sends to an Ex One printer. The printer stacks up layers of stainless steel powder hardened with a laser. Bathsheba trims and polishes each final form by hand. Lot's of brilliant designs, some like alien seeds. Others are like Escher paradoxes in 3D. These mini ones are only a few inches wide, and not cheap. It's art. It's mathematics. Many are shapes never before made or even imagined -- simply because they were impossible to render before. Bathsheba also does laser etched images deep inside of glass crystal. Check her news blog for some really dazzling larger pieces. I've ordered several things from her and have been happy.