Looking Outwards 08: The Creative Practice of an Individual

Nicole Aptekar

http://nicolation.net/

Nicole Aptekar is a paper sculptor and technologist based in Brooklyn, NY. Her works aim to turn basic digital forms into sophisticated, intricate, and elegant physical forms through technologies like “custom software” and “contemporary CNC fabrication methods”. Her works can be considered representations of the transition between the digital and physical forms as well as the transition between the virtual and the real world.

The works of Nicole Aptekar show high delicacy in structures and high craftmanship in the eventual prevented outcome. Her works mainly use the technique of overlay to overlay dozens of papers on top of each other. She makes each piece of paper slightly different than another, thus creating the eventual works not only amazing two-dimensionally but also three-dimensionally. I admire the series “METAFLUX” the most. Because for this series of works, the artist applies the color of black and white to create a marvelous color contrast effect as well.

To present her works, Nicole Aptekar includes high-resolution images to present her work not only two-dimensionally (showing how the works look from the top view) but also three-dimensionally (showing the works from an angle slightly above). She also included zoomed images to show the details. These are very effective strategies that I can learn from when presenting my own work.