Dancing cornstarch
2021
Material research
This project is about a good understanding of its history and eventually a deep understanding of the characteristics of a material. The goal of the project was to expand your view of materials on what is relevant to graphic design.
The material I chose to research is cornstarch. Corn starch (also known by its trade name Maizena) is used in cooking as a binding agent.
During the project, I started experimenting with this material by trying as much as I could with it. I looked at how the material works and what I could possibly make with it.
During my research, I found out that cornstarch becomes a Non-Newtonian liquid (oobleck), when you add water to it. It is liquid, but once pressure is applied to it, the liquid becomes rigid. So you have little control over the liquid and I thought this was an interesting idea to pursue.
Since the oobleck responds to pressure and movements felt by the material, I started experimenting with sound vibrations by placing the oobleck on a music box. By turning on music with a high bass, the liquid takes on a life of its own. By adding ecoline during the music, I ended up creating visuals that react to the music.