In the installation FREEZING RAIN (2016)–which was the centerpiece of an exhibition of the same name at New York City’s Marlborough Gallery–Crown manifests the experience of witnessing a downpour, turning ephemeral raindrops into tangible objects, by dangling highly reflective strips of paper-thin stainless steel from the ceiling. Viewers are invited to pause, circumnavigate the 8 foot by 12 foot sculpture, and contemplate the physical interaction of light, gravity, and space. They become part of the work as their own images are mirrored, refracted, and dispersed in and around the gallery.

Nature and technology met in the creation of FREEZING RAIN. To simulate heavy precipitation, Crown employed digital photography, freehand drawing, high-res scanners, cutting-edge software, the same super-durable metal used to build satellites, and 200 strands of invisible monofilament thread.

In addition, Crown drew upon her fascination with the theories of American semiotician Charles Sanders Pierce. “Pierce said that chance, determination, and purpose were the central organizing tenets of human existence,” wrote Tina Kukielski, executive director of ART21, in her introduction to the exhibition brochure. “By extension, knowledge… becomes thought translated into language. For Crown, technology is another tool for knowing, beyond language.”