Wood CNC Routing Art

Digital Fabrication

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Wood CNC Routing: The Art of Layered Geometry

Artist Michael Anderson creates visually striking geometric reliefs by using a CNC (Computer Numerical Control) router to excavate plywood sheet by sheet. His work, developed under the project name Triarchic Theory, transforms a standard construction material into something closer to a topographic map — color, grain direction, and depth working together as a unified visual field.

The Material: Why Plywood?

The logic of these pieces is inseparable from the material itself. Plywood is a laminated structure — thin wood veneers glued in alternating grain directions. As the router carves deeper, each successive layer reveals a different color and texture. The geometry isn't applied to the surface; it emerges from within the sheet.

Key features of this process:

• Topographic depth. The deeper the router carves, the more layers — and colors — are revealed.
• Mathematical precision. CNC technology enables geometric symmetry that would be practically impossible to sustain by hand across a full sheet.
• Material honesty. The work celebrates the strata of engineered wood — the way a geologist reads rock layers, or a woodworker reads end grain.

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Artist Links

• Official site: Triarchic Theory — Relief Art
• Instagram: @trumpetlips
• Behance: triarchictheory

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