Islamic 8-fold fractal flower median (I and II)

Abstract

I am a self-taught artist exploring the intersections of mathematics, natural forms, ancient design traditions, and sacred geometry. Fundamentally, my art celebrates and illuminates the inherent beauty ofmathematical forms. Tome, there is something sacred in the creation and viewing of these forms that encourage meditation on the deep structure of our world. I believe that the human heart, mind, and eyes are innately attuned to pattern and symmetry and that we share a universal, visceral reaction to beautiful patterns and proportions. Thus, I believe my art can be appreciated without any mathematical explanation or knowledge whatsoever – though there is a deeper level of appreciation available to those who understand the underlying mathematical principles involved. My earliest artistic influence wasM. C. Escher, whose use of tessellations and polyhedra ignitedmy interest in junior high school. I am also a great admirer of theOpArtmovement, especially Victor Vasarely and Bridget Riley. The community of artists who exhibit at the Bridges conference each year (http://gallery.bridgesmathart.org/) is a continual source of new inspiration. I also feel a deep kinship with the (usually anonymous) artisans behind traditional Islamic designs, Celtic knots, Indian kolams, and Tibetan mandalas. My artistic process has gone through several stages. For many years my tools were very simple – compass, straightedge, X-Acto knife, card stock, markers, etc. In my twenties and thirties, I experimented briefly with both woodworking and stained glass. For the past decade, I have designed my work with computer software, using a variety of modern media and techniques, including laser cutting wood, paper, and acrylic; 3D printing various materials; and digital printing on acrylic, nylon, and aluminium. Most recently, I have started exploring how to blend these contemporary methods and materials with the more traditional ones of my youth. Throughout, I’ve enjoyed blending the very old and the very new to create something completely novel. For me, raw mathematical shapes are merely starting points. By seeking new combinations, I move beyond a sense of exploration to one of innovation. For this reason, rather than write code to ‘generate’ my art, I use the computer as a ‘power tool’ to facilitate what would be tedious by hand – copying, rotating, and scaling hundreds of motifs.