The Poisson-Laplace theorem and the Plateau principles
No. 150, 1975
( Calculus of variations)
India ink and pencil on paper, 31.5x44 cm.
Bubbles clinging together in space, appearing almost as if they were a cluster of cells, radiating energy from within and reflecting light from without. They represent just the sort of shape one gets when shaking a soapy solution into a foam. Adjacent bubbles form edges and together they create a fascinating spacial structure. According to one of the Plateau principles, only three soap film sheets can meet stably on a single edge. Only four singular edges can come together at a vertex. A peculiar feature of this kind of system is that the bubbles can be pierced by a wire and not break down. Instead the bubble envelops the wire and it becomes part of the whole system.
