Orbifold 442, Variation II
archival inkjet print
2011
This work is part of a series of visual meditations on the symmetry groups of the two-dimensional Euclidean plane. This print focuses on the symmetry group p4 (orbifold signature 442) and its presentation by a particular set of two generators (generators {a,b} with relations aaaa = bb = abababab = 1). In the main section of the image, a network of connected dots forms a stylized Cayley diagram for this presentation of p4, while the small motifs at the bottom describe the local features of the orbifold for the symmetry group (in this case, one 2-fold and two 4-fold gyration or "cone" points). The image is constructed from multiple hand-drawn elements and natural textures which are scanned and digitally manipulated to form a composite image and subsequently output as an archival digital print.