Cartesian Lace Drawings

Posted by Susan Happersett

The past few months I have been developing a new type of drawing process based on Set Theory and the concept of mapping. Using the Cartesian coordinate system, I started by plotting sets of points on the x, y and z axes. To create a visual metaphor for the 4th dimension, I added one more axis perpendicular to the z axis. Using different mapping procedures I connect points from one axis to point on another. I utilize bijective (one point to one point) mapping, as well as non-bijective (one point to many points ) mapping patterns.

These new drawings use mathematics to create intricate patterns that relate to technological network maps, neurological phenomena, but also to hand-made lace.

Susan Happersett

The Armory Show

Posted by Susan Happersett

The largest of all of the Art Fairs in New York City last week was the Armory Show that was on two huge piers (92 and 94) on the Hudson river. A wide range of work was exhibited, I have just chosen a sampling of more recent work with Mathematical themes.

Bernar Venet, “11 Acute Unequal Angles”, 2015
Courtesy of Paul Kasmin Gallery

I was still in line to check my coat when I spotted Bernar Venet’s steel sculptures across the aisle. The title of the work above, “11 Acute Unequal Angles”, is a perfect description of the geometric theme of the work. It is always exciting to see work that so directly embraces the mathematics.

Shannon Bool, “Untitled”, 2017
Courtesy of Daniel Faria Gallery

This next work, by Shannon Bool, is a large- scale oil and batik on silk. The fabric is slightly transparent and backed with a mirror which creates an interesting repetition of the design, as well as a slight ghost of the reflection of the viewer. Through the use of grids and diagonals, there is a reference to the geometry of architecture.

Brandon Lattu, “Columns, White, Natural Progression”, 2016
Courtesy of Koenig & Clinton Gallery

This eight foot tall painted plywood column by Brandon Lattu consists of 12 stacked prisms. Each prism has a regular polygon as its base. The top form has is triangular, the second is square. The third one has a pentagonal base, and so on. Each subsequent prism has bases with one extra side. The prisms are stacked in such a way that a vertex from each prism lines up to create a vertical line.

Brandon Lattu, “Columns, White, Natural Progression”, 2016 (detail)
Courtesy of Koenig & Clinton Gallery

When you walk around the structure you can see the different angles. This work is a great visual example of a numeric progression in terms of the number of sides in each section. It also compares the different angles found in regular polygons.

Jim Iserman, “Untitled” , 2013-2014
Courtesy of The Breeder Gallery

Jim Iserman’s acrylic painting is a pulsating homage to hexagons. This work is made like a tiling. Each hexagon is created using three rhombi. By situating the yellow bands to meet at the center, Iserman creates a Y-pattern. The forms take on the presence of cubes jumping off the surface.

Jim Iserman, “Untitled” , 2013-2014 (detail)
Courtesy of The Breeder Gallery

The Armory show is an overwhelming experience. It takes hours to even get a superficial overview. There were a myriad of other works of art that relate to mathematics at this venue. It was difficult to chose just a few.

Susan Happersett

Art on Paper Fair

Posted by Susan Happersett

It is the first week of March, time for galleries from all over the world to display art at one of the half dozen large fairs in New York City. Since a lot of my own work involves paper, it makes sense that my first stop this year was the Art on Paper Fair. Here is just a quick overview of some of the work I thought had interesting mathematical connections.

As you walk into the large venue, you are greeted by Tahiti Pehrson‘s three monumental paper towers titled “The Fates” , presented by Art at Viacom.

This closer look shows the intricate paper cuts. Pehrson has used the Fibonacci sequence – obviously a favorite of mine – to develop a pattern of concentric circles.

I found these two watercolor and pencil in the Cindy Lisica Gallery booth. They are the work of Chun Hui Pak. The top painting is titled “Iris Fold Watercolor 19”, the bottom painting is titled “Iris Fold Watercolor 13”. These works are 2-dimensional representations of a 3-dimensional origami sculptures. The square format is placed on a diagonal, emphasizing the order-4 rotational symmetry of the form. The geometry of origami folding is of great interest to mathematicians using shading techniques. Chun Hui Pak has given us a type of portrait of the paper folding.

Anita Groener has made a series of pen and ink drawings that incorporate grid structures. The Gibbons & Nicholas Art Gallery has the drawing “Units 3” on display. The underlying squares of the grid anchor parallel sets of straight lines that create the illusion of volume in the rectangular cage, like a prism.

Although the focus of this fair is more specific to the materials used to make the art, there was a diverse selections of themes and forms represented. Art on Paper is open till Sunday March 5 2017.

Susan Happersett