This is an installation work from photographer Thomas Jackson. Jackson is a Philadelphia native, who has worked extensively on both coasts. His work is an impressionist recreation of naturally occurring “emergent behavior”, such as flocking of birds or schooling fish.

In this particular piece, Jackson fastened extremely light, long, rectangular sheets of colored fabric to fishing lines (out of shot). These fabric rectangles are assembled vertically, with gaps between. The high pressure winds coming off the ocean pulls the fabric until the fishing line is taught. The flow pattern of the wind can be seen to change from laminar, at the initial point of contact, to turbulent, as the air flows into the gaps between the individual sheets of fabric.

In addition to clearly displaying the flow change from a laminar to a turbulent condition, the translucency between the sheets and the glow at sunset creates a beautiful installation.

Thomas Jackson’s official website can be found here, as well as his Instagram here.