Fishtree

A (poorly-modeled) fish, about to eat two smaller fish, each about to each two smaller fish, ad infinitum. Completed as a class project for a special topics course on computer-aided design of geometric sculpture. The design was created using a self-similar fractal, in which an elongated tetrahedron (with a slight twist, at the professor’s suggestion!) was shrunk and repositioned in a branching pattern. The fish was created in 3D Studio Max (or something of that sort – this was 2007 or so). This was printed on one of the fancier 3D printers available at the time, a selective laser sintering machine that could achieve the resolution necessary for the tiniest fish.

Photographer: Beth Straley