Toronto artist builds massive infinity mirror inside his apartment
In the middle of Justin Hawley's Toronto apartment stands a large and unique piece of art.
"This is a seven-foot tall infinity mirror dodecahedron," Hawley explained with a laugh.
A project he started nine months ago for a design festival that has since been delayed, it now takes up a large part of his living space. he piece is six-feet wide, six-feet deep, and on its base, stands seven-feet tall. It consists of 12 pentagon-shaped, polycarbonate panels with nearly 1,000 programmed LED lights inside.
"I have nowhere to put it right now," he said. "But also, it kind of brightens my day."
When turned off, the exterior appears like a mirror, but when the lights are turned on, it bursts with vibrant colours.
"The analogy I like to use is when you're watching those movies where the FBI is interrogating someone through a one way mirror - that's how it works," he said. "So, you can actually see in through [it] when the lights are on but when they're off you can't see."
Hawley built the frame, joints and base, using a 3-D printer in his apartment. "Each of those parts took like 10 hours or more — some of them 16 hours per print."
By day, Hawley is a webcast producer, quite literally working in the shadow of his creation.
The award-winnint light artist said he's seen similar creations online, though on a much smaller scale.
"I'm always trying to push the boundaries, I don't like anything ordinary so if I could make it as extreme as possible and actually make it work then that's what I wanted to do."
The theme of the exhibition was climate change, so Hawley programmed five different settings for the LED lights inside. He says the colour themes are meant to replicate things humans could lose to climate change, including icebergs, the Northern Lights, and sunsets.
The size and scope of the design was just one of the challenges with this project. Hawley used design software to create 3D renderings and handbuilt a small-scale model.
"I think that I wanted to make something really futuristic and I wanted to sort of have a bit of a retro-futuristic feel to it to. I like a lot of synthoid music and sort of 80's aesthetic so I tried to do that and I just kinda wanted something that really wasn't around. I think I've only found one other version of this in the world."
Hawley documented the design and build process, posting a video to YouTube meant to inspire and instruct others on how he managed to do it.
"This is sort of a community of people that loves to do things," he said. "Just the do-it-yourself community, so I figured why not share the knowledge. I don't think knowledge really spreads unless you share it."
For now, the piece will remain in Hawley's apartment, but he still plans to show it in a couple of festivals and hopes it could one day be a gallery or museum installation.
"I want to make a really large black hole," he said.
"You won't physically get sucked in to it, but it will look like a black hole."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israel attacks Iran, Reuters sources say; drones reported over Isfahan
Israel has attacked Iran, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters, as Iranian state media reported early on Friday that its forces had destroyed drones, days after Iran launched a retaliatory drone strike on Israel.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.