I was introduced to The Octave in my philosophy group, where it was suggested that the octave is based on natural law, so it reflects the way the universe works – and as such it can help us to understand our own feelings and inclinations at various points of engagement with ideas or actions.

The spacing between the notes of an octave is irregular – i.e. not mathematically the same. This seems to give each note a particular characteristic – both in and of itself, and relative to the other notes in the octave.

The points in the scale where the rate of increase (or decrease) of frequency slows down (Mi-Fa and Si-Do) are called ‘intervals’, where extra energy is required to maintain the original impetus.

The suggestion is that if the decision to act, and the conclusion of the action is considered through the prism of an octave, then there will be ‘intervals’ where the momentum drops off, and will require conscious effort on our part to complete the task.

As a visual artist, this inspired me to create something that might keep this idea in mind. I wanted to see if the resonances of something that is traditionally audible would translate into something that is physical.

The relative size of each element of the sculpture, and the spacing between them is the same as the mathematical spacing between the notes of an octave.

I hope these sculptures serve both as aesthetically pleasing objects, and as a reminder of an aspect of human nature.