Duncan Rawlinson created this image using photography and artificial intelligence. The work captures an indigo droplet striking water, producing concentric rings and radial structures similar to spherical harmonics—the patterns that appear when a sphere vibrates at specific frequencies. The liquid forms nodal lines that divide the surface into zones of high and low displacement, freezing a physical event in time. Deep blues and purples fill the frame, contrasted by lighter tones where the water reflects light. The central column rises sharply, topped by a single bead, while the surrounding ripples spread outward in symmetrical waves. This piece examines vibrational symmetry and the visual properties of fluid mechanics, rendering transient phenomena into a structured, repeatable form.
Duncan.co/indigo-drop-and-nodal-ripple