A circular, low-relief sculpture sits on a black cardboard base. Crumpled silver and copper foils form torn ridges and sharp edges. Steel wool and chicken wire create tangled cavities. Gravel and sand are embedded throughout. Charcoal darkens recessed areas, and mirror fragments catch light within fractured metallic layers.
A circular, low-relief sculpture sits on a black cardboard base. Crumpled silver and copper foils form torn ridges and sharp edges. Steel wool and chicken wire create tangled cavities. Gravel and sand are embedded throughout. Charcoal darkens recessed areas, and mirror fragments catch light within fractured metallic layers.
A circular, low-relief sculpture sits on a black cardboard base. Crumpled silver and copper foils form torn ridges and sharp edges. Steel wool and chicken wire create tangled cavities. Gravel and sand are embedded throughout. Charcoal darkens recessed areas, and mirror fragments catch light within fractured metallic layers.
A circular, low-relief sculpture sits on a black cardboard base. Crumpled silver and copper foils form torn ridges and sharp edges. Steel wool and chicken wire create tangled cavities. Gravel and sand are embedded throughout. Charcoal darkens recessed areas, and mirror fragments catch light within fractured metallic layers.
A circular, low-relief sculpture sits on a black cardboard base. Crumpled silver and copper foils form torn ridges and sharp edges. Steel wool and chicken wire create tangled cavities. Gravel and sand are embedded throughout. Charcoal darkens recessed areas, and mirror fragments catch light within fractured metallic layers.
A circular, low-relief sculpture sits on a black cardboard base. Crumpled silver and copper foils form torn ridges and sharp edges. Steel wool and chicken wire create tangled cavities. Gravel and sand are embedded throughout. Charcoal darkens recessed areas, and mirror fragments catch light within fractured metallic layers.
A circular, low-relief sculpture sits on a black cardboard base. Crumpled silver and copper foils form torn ridges and sharp edges. Steel wool and chicken wire create tangled cavities. Gravel and sand are embedded throughout. Charcoal darkens recessed areas, and mirror fragments catch light within fractured metallic layers.
A circular, low-relief sculpture sits on a black cardboard base. Crumpled silver and copper foils form torn ridges and sharp edges. Steel wool and chicken wire create tangled cavities. Gravel and sand are embedded throughout. Charcoal darkens recessed areas, and mirror fragments catch light within fractured metallic layers.
A circular, low-relief sculpture sits on a black cardboard base. Crumpled silver and copper foils form torn ridges and sharp edges. Steel wool and chicken wire create tangled cavities. Gravel and sand are embedded throughout. Charcoal darkens recessed areas, and mirror fragments catch light within fractured metallic layers.
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Specimen (16 Psyche)

Addison Mayhew

April 20th, 2026

Major: New Media Design

Genre/Medium: Abstract Sculpture (cardboard, aluminum foil, steel wool, chicken wire, copper leaf, silver leaf, black acrylic paint, rocks, gravel, sand, mirror/glass shards)

About the Work:

Specimen (16 Psyche) is an abstract, materially driven exploration of the asteroid 16 Psyche. While the work visually represents the asteroid, it does so without spectacle or polish. At first glance, it may resemble a compressed pile of industrial debris—foil, wire, grit, and fractured surfaces. This ambiguity is intentional.

Psyche exists millions of miles away, known only through remote sensing and evolving scientific hypothesis. Current research suggests it is not a solid metal core as once believed, but a porous composite body composed of iron-nickel metal, silicate rock, and carbonaceous material. Rather than illustrating these findings, I translated them into physical behavior at a human scale. Read more…

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Date Added: 04-20-2026
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/Addison Mayhew - Psyche Inspired

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