Round 13 of 15 · 3 October · Back to the strands, then the sea

Braid, five ways

A return to Braid from round two, the piece whose line quality was closest all along, with its literal rope removed. Three versions end as the layered model Macrocosmos draws in its own dashboard: twenty machines on a ring, eight layers where the strands cross. Then a fourth, after the note that the loose strands read as rope or DNA: open on an actual sea, and let the waves themselves lift off the water and become the model. And a fifth, which goes back to the rope on purpose: the braid itself, woven slowly, one ply at a time, in tan on dark grey. That is the one Mikyö chose to push forward.

The five beside the references ↗

The pieces

5 pieces. Each opens live in a new tab.

Chords

Considered

Braid’s loose strands are caught by two machines each and drawn taut; their crossings draw the eight layers.

Open the piece ↗

Dendrite

Considered

Twenty scattered sprigs light, open and grow strands to each other, tips lit.

Open the piece ↗

Rosette

Considered

The strands lay into the rope; the rope turns to face you and opens into a radial figure.

Open the piece ↗

Sea

Considered

The opening is an ocean drawn as the lines of its swell; row by row the waves lift off the water and are drawn taut into the model.

Built on the first note below.

Open the piece ↗

W(e)ave

Chosen

The braid itself, slowed: threads into yarns, yarns into strands, strands into ropes, ropes into one, each twist travelling along the line. Tan on dark grey, one saffron highlight.

Chosen on 4 October as the canonical style, with a saffron highlight.

Open the piece ↗

Mikyö's note, which moved it on

Make the opening frames, rather than these indistinguishable strands of rope or DNA, into an actual ocean with waves. That is what ends up transforming into this kind of lattice structure and layered model.

Sea answered that. Then, on 4 October: “Give me a version of the braid that comes together and starts weaving a little bit more slowly, rather than all at once, and that also uses the kind of tan and dark gray color scheme… I think this is the one we want to push forward.” W(e)ave is the answer. He then chose it: saffron for the highlight, a smoother motion, and “make this one canonical”.