100 Variations
(100 altered Rubik's cubes), 2008

A gray-scaled version of the Rubik's cube forms the basis for this project, which takes the format of a sculptural document. 100 cubes are stacked in 100 different possible variations, limited to a 6 x 6 x 4 cube base. The variations were determined first on paper, then I created each stack and photographically documented the resulting sculptures.

There is a form of trickery at play in the photos since the sense of light and contrast is created not through the photographic process, but through the properties of the gray-scaled cube itself. The forms appear to be lit by a strong directional source despite being evenly lit. The photos of the stacks look as though they are photographed in black and white, but are in fact, colour photos.

The project makes reference to Sol Lewitt’s exercises in variation and structural progression, but with a playful approach to material. The Rubik's cube itself embodies ideas about complexity, choice, logic, permutation and pattern. The inherent properties of the cube along with the built in allusion to game-playing and the grid, led me to this systematic exploration in mapping possibility and the nature of form.