Informed and Inspired by Nature's Science
With the Spring season firmly rearing its head, it seems only right to talk about the phenomenon that is our natural world and why it inspires us. Here in London the pink blossom buds are beginning to litter the tree-lined streets and the daffodils cluster together like a glow of sunshine. Spring is such a visual joy, a beautiful act of science that highlights the essential nature of our natural world. This wonder of science is something that we, at the studio, are drawn to for both inspiration and information.
When starting collections and thought processes here at Alice Made This we always look for reason, art and science amid the topics that we are researching. The research stage of any project or collection is one of my personal favourites. I love going deep into a theme and from a number of literal or abstract angles, slowly reaching a form of clarity and creative direction inspired by findings, tangents, ideals and facts. Topics like the Brain, Imperfection, Coastlines, for example, are all very different as headlines, but we bind them through our intrigue in the art of precision, scientific data and material experimentation. One area that we are consistently drawn to is nature's precision in our world and how utterly mind-blowing it is!
Biomimicry is to me the most mind-blowing! It is so satisfyingly simple meaning ‘imitation of the living’ and is where you find biology informing engineering in order to optimise and innovate. I believe that this could be a key to our climate emergency, but I will leave this for another day as it deserves a piece all to itself!
Alchemy and mathematics are other areas of constant intrigue and the mystery of the Golden Ratio is something we always return to. The Golden Ratio occurs naturally in all manner of plants, animals, and natural phenomena. This ‘perfect’ ratio is reflected in the Alice Made This focus on proportion and design in our jewellery.
The Golden Ratio, and the inextricably linked Fibonacci sequence, is visible throughout nature, from the number of petals in a flower to the spiral of a galaxy. Sunflower seeds, pinecones and pineapples also all feature the Golden Ratio, as well as the inside of fruits such as bananas and apples. The Golden Ratio also occurs in animals and humans where the features, details and body markings all fall at golden sections of its full height or form.
Geotechnical movement is another macro topic that fascinates us. Wave patterns, cloudscapes, land movement and rock formations are all factors that drive the past, present and future of our world. They inform our design minds too! From the breaking angle of a sand dune to the growth of rock crystals or the cycle of tides and flight paths, we are intrigued by the data, detail and science, applying it to the process, the form, the story and the aesthetic of our jewellery.
The deeper we delve into the beautiful science of our natural world, the more inspiration we seem to find...
Explore jewellery inspired and informed by the science of nature.
