Dutch artist Jólan van der Wiel is creating attractive art.
Inspired by the push and pull between magnetic fields and gravity, van der Wiel’s Dragonstone project fabricates intricate ceramic structures from magnetic clay under the influence of a magnetic field.
Credit: Jólan van der Wiel
The resulting structures—architectural, dynamic, and somewhat dangerous-looking—cozy up to the blurry divide between art and science.
“By being curious, you can think about anything in the world in your own way and redevelop it for yourself by thinking about how it works,” van der Wiel says in a Cool Hunting article.
Credit: Jólan van der Wiel
Created from a clay powder containing metal fibers, the material is pulled with a magnet to create some unique shapes. The interesting structures are created in an additive manufacturing style, with layers built up to allow the material to cure and strengthen into a super-strong ceramic.
Van der Wiel hopes that his technique and art will transcend beyond aesthetics, though. Because the concept also works for cement, he says the idea “could well be applied to architecture and constructions on a large scale, with a designer or architect actively ‘building’ structures or amending them on site,” according to the article. Van der Wiel explains, “Unlike a regular concrete, the metal and magnets can be used to hold a form in shape while cooling, so you don’t need a mold.”
Check out his unique process in the video below.
