'One Hundred Views of a Metagon': Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a Metagon?
I coined the word "Metagon" to describe a regular, open, possibly infinite polygonal line developed in two or more dimensions following a serial rule of expansion. Here are some examples of metagons in the plane[the theme, and four others] and a few others in space built from zometool [1 and 2].
Clearly more than polylines, and certainly not polygons, they deserved a name of their own and some investigations. Some metagons evoke osculating circles to spirals. - Any Metagon example?
In his 'Fifteen Variations on a Single Theme', Max Bill uses a polyline which answers the above definition. All segments have the same length. There is a simple serial rule of expansion, chaining the segments together. The rule can be expressed in pseudo-code or in computer code.
- Any hint of the Theme history?
I have discovered the figure in Max Bill's 'Fifteen Variations on a Single Theme', but I could not find if Max Bill discovered it, or if he realized its power and generality: he only showed the Theme at the fifth polygonal level (octagon). He seems to have only partially understood the power and generality, writing "the [...] figure is a spiral composed of straight lines of equal length. the angles and the areas between these lines show a great variety of forms and tension", not foreseeing the second counter spiral emerging from a line density wave.
The Theme may well have been invented at the Bauhaus, or in Renaissance Italy, in antique Greece or Alexandria? - How is a piece created?
Think of a geometry and how to render it pleasingly, and form a concept accurate enough to be written into computer code. Visual feedback let the code evolve till the piece coincides with the concept.
Here is an example of such code using the Mathematica language. Other graphics or image tools can be used as a back end as needed. The 'One Hundred Views of a Metagon' project was built upon a collection of code based on this simple principle. - How is a piece printed?
The 'One Hundred Views of a Metagon' project intends to produce works on paper of the highest standard, so the production of each piece must be handled with utmost care.
The data from the previous steps is converted into a printable format -PostScript in this case, and sent to a high end inkjet system to produce a 'giclee' print. The system needs to be accurately tuned, and fed with quality inks and paper; one would be well advised to employ a highly competent team of 'master printers'. - What is a limited edition?
A limited edition is printed in a stated limited number to avoid diluting the value of the work and to protect buyers interests. There are laws enforcing the concept.
- What about the case?
The four-sided case has flaps attached to the top and bottom so that the prints inside are protected on all sides. It is covered with japanese paper and hand built in the 'shiho chitsu' style from traditional materials, following Kojiro Ikegami's instructions in "Japanese Book Binding, Instructions from a Master Craftsman" (Wheatherhill).
