At the Outsider Art Fair earlier this month the company Art Sales and Research Inc presented the work of self taught artist Harold Granucci. After retiring from accounting and retail in 1979, Granucci became interested in the mathematical formulas he found in natural phenomena. He spent twenty years hand drawing elaborate patterns generated from his calculations.

Using his Texas Instruments calculator and his knowledge golden proportions, Granucci created a large body of work that has just recently become available to the public. I am always excited to see work of previously unknown math artists fr the first tim.

Susan Happersett

Davidson Gallery in Chelsea is currently presenting “Afterimage”, a solo exhibition of recent work by Joe Rudko.

To create his works on paper Rudko slices up found photographs into rectangular strips. The actual photographic images become abstract patterns. Using very specific dimensions for the strips, they are assembled into patterns that mimic the look of weaving.

“MIRROR” from 2023 has a vertical axis of reflective symmetry. The symmetry is quite exact for the size and shape of the pieces of photographs. The symmetry for coloration is more of an approximation. Photography is a very important medium in contemporary art. I find it fascinating to find mathematical concepts addressed through these images.

Susan Happersett

The first weekend of March is the Outsider Art Fair in NYC. Over the years I have noticed more work with mathematical connections. This year Norman Brosterman exhibited a series of detailed mathematical abstract drawings that were recently discovered in two albums from 1880. The word “Distractions” was embossed on the spines of the books. They are thought to be the work of an architect or a drafts person. These works feature interesting symmetries.

This first drawing has order-4 rotational symmetry over all and each of hexagonal Star elements have order-6 rotational symmetry.

This second drawing has two competing symmetries. The outer pattern of Quadrilaterals and orange triangles has order-22 rotational symmetry, while the interior ring of circles and petals has order-8.this results in the petals meeting the triangles at various stages of the pattern.

If you read this when I post it, go see the Outsider Art Fair this weekend.

Susan Happersett