Kekulé’s Dream

Digital Artist in Residence (October-December 2020)

August Kekulé, a 19th Century German chemist, who's dream helped lead to his discovery. At the time, Kekulé was trying visually to represent the Benzene molecule. In the dream, atoms "gamboled before [his] eyes" and began swirling around to form a ring. Upon awakening, Kekulé knew that the key to representing the molecule was to link the six carbon atoms in a hexagon with an atom at each joint.

Meuris did not know of the story when she made the piece. Meuris was trying to generate ideas by playing with materials: mulberry paper, a Spirograph and the wandering designs possible with hexagons.

Meuris realized that she had created a piece using two symbols closely associated with chemistry and the periodic table: the hexagon and the hypotrochoid - or Spirograph - which has been used to represent electron orbits around a nucleus.

Techniques: Machine sewn paper collage
Culture: American
Geographic Location: North and Central America - United States
Credit Line: Gift of Christine Meruis