Butterfly Effect
Leila Mirza
Major: Undeclared
Genre/Medium: Stoneware Clay and Acrylic Paint
About the work: While I generally stick to throwing pieces on the wheel, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and try hand-building in order to capture the raw, crude, and imperfect nature of a celestial body. Based on simulated photos of the asteroid, I recreated the distinct crater-battered surface. Then, I sculpted small butterflies and painted them in the vibrant mission to Psyche colorway. I left the asteroid unglazed to create a deeper contrast between the surface and the shapes that it supports.
While butterflies are a symbol of the goddess Psyche, they also represent change and transformation. I painted the butterflies in the mission colors to symbolize our presence and metaphorical touchdown on the asteroid.
The “butterfly effect” describes the idea that something small can influence a much larger system and alter the course of the future. Given the uncertainty of what lies on (16) Psyche, the possibilities for unprecedented discovery are endless.
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