Kyma

Kyma (/kee-ma/, κύμα) is a Greek word meaning wave. It is my exploration of an acoustic phenomenon known as ‘Chladni Patterns’.

Ernst Florens Friedrich Chladni was a German physicist and musician. He was a pioneer of modern acoustics and made numerous contributions to the field. Chladni's work had a significant influence on the development of modern music theory and the technology of musical instruments. In 1787, Chladni was trying to understand how sound waves propagate and interact with objects. By vibrating a metal plate and sprinkling sand on it, he observed that the sand arranged itself into distinct patterns. These patterns are created due to the interaction between the sound waves and the plate: the sound waves cause the plate to vibrate, which in turn causes the sand to move. The sand will move away from areas of high vibration and towards areas of low vibration. This creates a unique pattern of ridges, circles, and many other shapes.

Kyma continues this study by adding color, light, and composition to the equation. Each iteration is a unique combination of two Chladni plates with different characteristics, accompanied by a palette, background lighting, and variational drawing algorithm. Plates interact with each other, forming patterns from the small detailed net-like grid to megalithic sculptures of unknown creatures and windows to another worlds.

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Made with love, math, and p5js.

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