Sjoerd Hofstra with Karen O’hearn at Rare

Posted by Susan Happersett

Glenn Horowitz Bookseller’s gallery Rare is currently showing the work of Sjoerd Hofstra with Karen O’hearn. On display are some of their artist’s books, featuring finely engineered kinetic elements. The subject matter of these books is directly mathematical. “A study in Averages” is a schematic treatise on the relationship between averages and society.

“Elements of Geometry by Euclid” includes pop-ups of the geometric solids. The mathematical texts have been blurred and instructional line drawings have been added.

“6 Empty Bookcases” is more architectural, but each of the bookcases presents interesting geometric 3 dimensional properties as it folds off the page.

What I find refreshing about Hofstra’s and O’hearn’s books is the clear unabashed connection to the mathematics. Whether addressing the societal implications of the use of averages, or creating their own interpretation on the historical Euclidean text, or using sophisticated calculations to build their geometric bookcases, the artists embrace mathematics.

I realize how difficult it is to see the true interactive nature of these books through my inadequate photos. The artists have provided a video link so you can see their work in action.

Susan Happersett

Math at the E/AB Fair

Posted by Susan Happersett

This week there are numerous art fairs in NYC that emphasize prints and artist’s books. I am participating in the E/AB fair with the letterpress publisher Purgatory Pie Press. We are exhibiting the first of series of three prints based on my Fibonacci Spiral drawings.

“Fibonacci Spiral 1” – 2015

Using an algorithmic process of folding and tearing double-sided prints, we have made an edition of a book called “Galactic Collision, Fibonacci Spiral”. This book breaks up the spiral patterns into small segments of the curves.

“Galactic Collision” – 2015

Bernard Chauveau Editeur brought some very interesting work from Paris including “Mineral Skin”, a limited edition cut and folded paper sculpture by Arik Levy.

Mineral Skin – 2013

“Mineral Skin” is a single sheet of paper that has been cut and folded to create a surface of pentagons and hexagons.

At the Wingatestudio booth Sebastian Black’s large scale accordion books are on display .

“Period Piece, Simple Sequence” 2014-2015

“Period Piece, Simple Sequence” is a series of two sets of counting books. The first starts with one randomly placed black square on the first page. Each subsequent page has one more square, up to ten squares. The second set begins at eleven square marks and continues up to twenty.

There is a very diverse collection of work at the E/AB fair and I was quite pleased to find some work with mathematical themes.

Susan Happersett

Central Booking – New York City

Posted by Susan Happersett

There are art galleries that occasionally exhibit art work that is of Mathematical interest, and then there are venues that consistently show work with Mathematical elements. Central Booking located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan is an art space that always provides art work that any Mathematics enthusiast would appreciate. Executive Director and Curator Maddy Rosenberg has created two district galleries with in the space. The front gallery ABG (Artist’s Book Gallery) is dedicated to representing Artist’s Books in all of their forms and functions. Currently on view is an amazing piece by famous MathArt collaborators, Eric Demaine and Martin Demaine. The sculpture “Through the Looking Glass” was made in 2013 and comprises of a folded paper form encapsulated in a blown glass vessel. I have seen their beautiful and complex folded forms before, but the introduction of glass takes their work to another level.

The second gallery at Central Booking is HaberSpace,which is dedicated to Art and Science exhibitions. The close relationship to the visual representation of science and the Mathematics used in the study of science makes this the perfect place to find MathArt. The March exhibition “Time and Again” explores the Physics of time, as well as the concept of linearity.

Miriam Carothers

Illustrator Miriam Carothers draws pen outline drawings of physicists. The the spaces are filled in coloring book style with Mathematical equations that relate to the work of each scientist.

Miriam Carothers. All pictures courtesy of the artist and the gallery.

In 2011 Carothers made 30 portraits in this series using a team of physicists, Physics professors and students to fill in the mathematical formulae. Through this series of drawings Carothers creates a dialogue, not only about scientists as people, but also how society relates to the mathematical numerals and symbols that form the language of science.

Miriam Carothers – Alexander Polyakor (2011). All pictures courtesy of the artist and the gallery.

Christiana Kazakou

Christiana Kazakou explores the connections between science and art through many mediums, including site specific installations, performance art, architecture and what Kazakou refers to as “Science Maps”. Her drawing “The Past, Present and Future” (2010) is both striking and elegant. The white lines on the black paper create an interesting dynamic of positive and negative space.It features three circles with measurement lines ticking off degrees around their circumferences, like on a protractor. They seem to spin like the mechanism in a clock. Around the circles there is a background pattern created from playful angled vectors which connect to form a variety of triangles.