Project

Cryptocube

Year

2020

Role

3D artwork

Description

Cryptocube holds a chaotic mix of matter and light within a sharply defined form. Thousands of beams pass in and out, crossing one another, while the cube itself seems unshakeable. I find tension between containment and escape, and a sense of calm in the precision of its geometry.

Full view of Cryptocube: a layered cubic volume, red and cyan highlights, and diagonal lines extending across the black background.

Exploration

Beyond the frame.

I started with a simple wish to explore JSplacement, a displacement map generator, and develop my skills in Cinema 4D and Octane. The name came from what the image suggested to me: an ordered complexity, a futuristic object with no counterpart in the real world.

In the subtle reflections, I imagine other immense cubes, arranged as far as the eye can see. Above, ahead, behind: a whole world lies dormant, each block seemingly waiting its turn.

JSplacement maps

Grayscale JSplacement map: overlapping squares and rectangles connected by thin horizontal and vertical lines.

Color version of the same JSplacement pattern, with gray, red and purple rectangles against a dark background.

Panoramic crop of the cube’s top, crossed by cyan and yellow beams against a dark green background.

Panoramic crop of the cube’s lower tip: red and gold layers, reflections and lines of light against a black background.

Credits

3D artwork: Anthony Cavel