Wire Opera Reflections, Curitiba, Brazil

Worlds in Warped Water

Marlyn Tows imaged these puddle reflections in the Opera de Arame (Wire Opera).

Opera de Arame in Curitiba, Brazil is constructed almost entirely of steel tubes and transparent poly carbonate - See bottom image.

Water pooling around protuberances on steel decking has its surface warped into convex and concave forms. They form a miniature hall of mirrors twisting the surrounding square mesh and tubular roofing into highly distorted shapes.

All images ©Marlyn Tows, shown with permission

Here the surface attracts water, it is wetted. The water climbs up a slope and forms a concave meniscus. Clean glass has concave, climbing, menisci.

Water left to itself in a small drop or in zero gravity forms a sphere. At its surface unbalanced attractive forces between the water molecules result in a tension force 'surface tension' that pulls to minimise the surface area.

Introduce another surface and the water shape depends on whether the surface to water molecule forces are greater than or less than those between water molecules alone.