Color-changing tropical fish mobile

[Blazinator]

I thought I'd post this since SB has a place for art.

I invented and manufacture a color changing glass / plastic material called Dichrolam thats real cool, won lots of awards,
spec'd by top architects for Disney, MTV, Cruise ships, corporate lobbys, etc. blah blah blah.

So along came a dream commission of a lifetime - to make a mobile of "fish" in my Dichrolam AND INSTALL the mobile in
Hawaii. Gotta love art that funds your dive trip.

SRG Partnership (specifying architect) gave me pretty full creative freedom in the design, so instead of making all 100
of the "fish" as simplified shapes all the same, I based the fish on ACTUAL reef fish, and used some of my own UW photos
as templates for cutting out the fish bodies. I also added "fins" to the fish in a contrasting dichroic color, and with
texture that simulates the lenticular corrugations of actual fish fins.

Not really for sale, as these fish are a bit time consuming, and if I offered them for a reasonable $130.00 + shipping
each (still losing $), most would be offended by the perceived high price. But if you know this league of art, you know
its a deal (when was the last time you saw a material that changed color before your very eyes?).

Will post the Angel fish soon too.

 

[maged_mmh]

nice work, and brilliant idea!
not really my thing but just my$.02: if you could post a video showing the color morph; I think it would serve your product better

 

[Blazinator]

if you could post a video showing the color morph; I think it would serve your product better

Good reminder. As soon as the angelfish are done, I will post a vid.
I want to make a manta ray as well, but I'm psyched on doing some nudibranch first.

Videos do show the color shift quite well:

 

[Blazinator]

Oh well, did an Eagle Ray first. Eventually I'll do a nudibranch.

Here's a video:

 

[rollerboi]

Nice! I love the ray, and look forward to seeing your work with nudibranches. I think nudi's are my favorite so far, looking so alien and foreign.

 

[Blazinator]

Totally with you on the nudibranchs - my favorite too, but the Eagle rays are so elegent. I learned to put spots on my material a few years back and that really put the eagle ray as top priority for the moment.

The nice thing about nudibranchs is that unlike the Eagle Ray, where God did the design right the first time and you don't see many variations (except spot patterns), therefore if I do Nudi's, I will NEVER exhaust all the variations that could be done. The rhinophores will be tough though. Maybe start with simple flatworms.