Analia Saban at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery

Posted by Susan Happersett

“Punched Card”, Analia Saban’s solo exhibition, includes work from the artists “Tapestry” series. This series introduces two very interesting dichotomies. The patterns presented in these weavings are circuits boards that allude to the history of computers into the digital age. The title of each work references the actual technical hardware. This is juxtaposed with the process of weaving on Jacquard looms that was one of the first industrial uses of binary analog systems.

“Tapestry [1,024 Bit[1K] Dynamic RAM,1103,Intel,1970]”

For these weavings, Saban uses linen thread for the warp and strips of dried acrylic paint for the weft. This choice of materials opens the dialog about the distinctions between what has been considered fine art (painting) and craft (weaving). The first weaving you see as you walk into the gallery (above) is hung on a wall, but farther into the space there is an installation of tapestries hung from the ceiling.

Image 3

“Tapestry[Computer Chip, TMS 1000, Texas Instruments, 1974]

This installation technique allows the viewer to walk around the textiles and get better understanding of the weaving process.

This series of work highlights two topics that have are currently important and intertwined in art and society today, the development of technology and the artificial hierarchies in culture.

Susan Happersett

“Chance and Control: Art in the Age of Computer” at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London

Posted by Susan Happersett

This week a guest blog entry by Elizabeth Whiteley

If you are planning to visit London very soon, consider viewing “Chance and Control: Art in the Age of Computer.” The exhibit is at the V&A Museum until November 18. It’s a small and well selected show of pioneering work since 1968. That year there was an international show titled “Cybernetic Serendipity” at the Institute of Contemporary Art in London. Many of those artists are included in this exhibit.

Vera Molnar (French, born 1924) detail from “Interruptions”

One of the wall notes contains a description of the way images were produced in the early years of computer-generated art. Next to a work by George Nees it says “The plotter was operated by feeding punched tape into a computer that used the instruction to direct a pen across a drawing surface. As the computer had no screen, Nees would not have been able to fully anticipate the appearance of the resulting drawing.” Nowadays, we can preview an image pixel by pixel!

Manfred Mohr (French, born 1938), detail from “P-049” from the portfolio “Scratch Code”

Georg Nees (German, 1926-2016), “Untitled’ [red black]

Thanks for your contribution Elizabeth! Next week more New York art.

Susan Happersett

Rafael Lozano-Hemmer at bitforms gallery

Posted by Susan Happersett

“Confirmation Bias” is the current solo exhibition for Rafael Lozano-Hemmer at bitforms gallery. The term confirmation bias relates to how information or data is interpreted in a way that favors one’s preexisting ideas believes and preferences. This can pose a negative effect on scientific study.

“Vanishing Points”is a data generated screen based work form 2018 that reacts in real time to the position of the viewer in the gallery. Using software that adjusts the grids to form a vanishing point that corresponds to the viewers perspective.

“Vanishing Point” has mathematical themes on numerous levels. The use of geometry to create the changing grids is just the beginning. Using computer algorithms Lozano-Hemmer takes the work outside of the 2 dimensions of the flat screens into the 3 dimensions of the gallery while adding the element of time. The concept of confirmed bias relates to the the societal implications of numerical data and how it can be distorted due to peoples existing opinions and feelings.

Susan Happersett

Matthew Larson at Massey Klein

Posted by Susan Happersett

The Massey Klein gallery’s is currently presenting “Vice Versa” a solo exhibition of Matthew Larson’s fiber works. Having developed a unique and arduous technique of embedding parallel rows of yarn into Velcro, Larson has created a series of stretched linen panels with geometric themes.
“Flat Structure” from 2017 at first glance seems to be a square with a diagonal line. Upon closer inspection that line is actually formed by a bend in each of the sections of yarn at the left upper corner.
Every line of yarn is s different length running from the right side of the square to the bottom. The nature of the fibrous material makes each bend slightly curvilinear, adding a subtle organic element to the geometric form. This juxtaposition of the idea of a straight edge square with a diagonal line with the softer corner folds creates a fascinating composition.

Susan Happersett

Tom Bronk at Andrew Edlin Gallery

Posted by Susan Happersett

Concentric squares have been a popular theme for geometric painters like Josef Albers and Frank Stella. Tom Bronk has added a fresh and frenetic quality to the form.

Bronk’s painting “96(e)-1” from 1996 is currently display as part of his solo exhibition at the Andrew Edlin Gallery.

Featuring narrow horizontal bands of alternating contrasting colors, the squares seem to vibrate right off the canvas.

Tom Bronk is a self-taught artist having never attended an official traditional art school. But he did interact with artists since arriving in NYC in the 1970’s. He worked as a wall painter at the Leo Castelli Gallery and was introduced to the trends in contemporary art. That influenced combined with his inherent appreciation of geometry has resulted in an exciting body of work.

Susan Happersett

Vandorn Hinnant at the New York Hall of Science

Posted by Susan Happersett

I am so happy Vandorn Hinnant sent me an invitation to his current solo exhibition “The Hidden Mathematics: a surprising connection between Math and Art” at The New York Hall of Science. This was my first visit to the Hall of Science located in a stunning 1964 World’s Fair building in Corona Queens NY. I had wanted to see the museum’s permanent “Mathematica” display for a long time but it was an amazing discovery to find out about their art galleries. What a great place to see Math Art!

Hinnart’s artistic practice is a perfect example of the visualization of meta-mathematics. Interested in exploring mathematical geometric as complete systems, his drawings achieve detail and accuracy relying only on the construction rules of Euclidean geometry using a straight edge and a compass.

Inspiration for these drawings and paintings come from numerous mathematical sources including the Fibonacci numbers, the Golden Mean and fractals.

“Navigator’s Song” from 1995 features both horizontal and vertical lines of symmetry as well as isosceles triangle forms.

“Aromatic Vortex in Red & White” from 2012 depicts a rotating series of equilateral triangles to build a spiral, referencing the Padovan sequence.

Hinnant credits the work of numerous historical figures in the development of his decades long creative process including Pythagoras and Buckminster Fuller.

Susan Happersett

Eleanor White at Matteawan Gallery, Beacon, NY

Posted by Susan Happersett

Matteawan Gallery is presenting “It’s About Time” a solo exhibition of the work of Eleanor White. On display is the kinetic wall sculpture “Continuous Timer”. This work is comprised of hundreds of glass and sand timers arranged on a spinning wheel. Featuring a high order of rotational symmetry by adding movement this piece references the infinite symmetries found in circles.

The constant re-leveling of the sand within each glass timer breaks the symmetry with the introduction of the concepts of gravity and equilibrium.

“Continuous Timer” is one of the best examples of a work of art using mathematics as a metaphor for time and relativity that I have seen.

Susan Happersett

“It’s a Small World” of Rotational Symmetry

Posted by Susan Happersett

It is the final week of August and most of the art galleries in NYC are closed so for fun I decide to write about the mathematics of Mary Blair’s artwork for the “It’s a Small World” ride at the Magic Kingdom. On a family vacation earlier this year while riding one of my favorite rides I noticed how many types of symmetry were involved in the design. I found numerous examples of rotational symmetry.

Here is a series of flowers with order 8 rotational symmetry.

These flowers have order 4 rotational symmetry because of the alternating colors .

This decoration with order 12 rotational symmetry and it actually rotates!

I hope everyone is enjoying their Summer Holidays.

Next Month I am back to the galleries.

Susan Happersett

“Purgatory Pie Press: 40 Years & Counting” at Photo Book Works, Beacon, NY

Posted by Susan Happersett

The Gallery Photo Book Works in Beacon NY is currently featuring the exhibition “Purgatory Pie Press: 40 Years & Counting” to commemorate Dikko Faust’s and Esther K Smith’s long and fruitful history of art making and collaborations. They have worked with many artists to create limited edition letter press artist’s books, postcards, and prints. (I have worked with them for over twenty years).

Here is a gallery view. The accordion books on display are the work of Dikko Faust the founder and the printer at the press. In the past few years he has developed a series of work based on abstract geometric forms that have a lot of mathematical context. I have written about a number of his processes in past blog posts.

This is Dikko’s newest edition it is comprised of circles that are made up of a dot grid. When the red and blue circles overlap interference patterns emerge.

If you are in the Hudson Valley on August 11 stop by the gallery for the exhibition closing day, Dikko Faust and Esther K Smith in the gallery. They will be there from 1PM to 7PM:

Photo Book Works

469 Main St

Beacon, NY 12508

See you therem

Susan Happersett

Bridges Conference Stockholm, Sweden (Part 2)

Posted by Susan Happersett

Christoph Ohler’s sculpture “MBC” was created fom a flat sheet of steel. Curved sections were cut away. Then the form was bent and soldered resulting in eight connected Moebius strips. One of the cool things about the Moebius strips is how much their appearance changes depending on the viewers vantage point. “MBC” enhances the property of multidimensional visual perspective.

“Towards Infinite Smallness in layered Space” by Irene Rousseau is a 3-D paper construction. This work illustrates the negative curvature on a hyperbolic plane. The repetitive forms become increasingly small as they reach out to the boundary of the round disc. The paper shapes are not applied to create a flat surface, but instead the elements are of differing thicknesses, giving the work a complex surface.

Susan Happersett