My work is about hidden worlds. This show provides a glimpse into these worlds by answering such questions as: What would overlapping 2-dimensional objects on the same plane look like? Can a single component form wildly different structures? How can a viewer’s perspective reveal a greater range of meaning? Geometric and abstractive works in metal sculpture, painting, woodworking, papercraft and other media illustrate basic principles of topology and tiling.
There is in all things a pattern that is part of our universe. It has symmetry, elegance, and grace – those qualities you find always in that which the true artist captures. You can find it in the turning of the seasons, in the way sand trails along a ridge, in the branch clusters of the creosote bush or the pattern of its leaves. We try to copy these patterns in our lives and our society, seeking the rhythms, the dances, the forms that comfort. Yet, it is possible to see peril in the finding of ultimate perfection. It is clear that the ultimate pattern contains its own fixity. In such perfection, all things move toward death.
From “Collected Sayings of Muad’Dib” by the Princess Irulan
Beauty is for me absolutely fundamental. And it is important. It’s not just an accent. Without beauty we would not do any good science.
Sir Michael Atiyah
Pool of the Black Star video
short film to accompany music by KillDry
axonometric tiles
Lattices of three different colors intersect over a field of triangles. The large hexagon contains the basic unit for the pattern, made up of transformed copies.
double quad knot
Two knots based on 90° radial symmetry intertwine. The same material (steel) is heat treated with different processes to create two different colors.
cistercian counting bands
Listing bands with odd and even numbers of twists
negative single twist components
A helix and a hexahedron are both composed from a single component, a negative single twist knot.
double tri unicursal knot
Rotated copies of two identical outlined knots weave together.
infinity knots
Five knots are bent into the shape of a larger knot, the symbol for infinity.
perspective hex
Eight knotted hexagons cover the surface of a cube in a pattern which is identical on each face of the solid.
branching unknot
Two unknots are arranged vertically above a charred wood base. The shape of the metal makes self-supporting convex and concave arrangements possible.
multi-dimensional hex knots
Two sets of interlocked hexagonal rings traverse three color fields.
woven tile hexahedron
Copies of a single metal tile are woven together to form a cube with a concave vertex.
isometric hexagonal lattice
A three-hexagon structure repeats to form a lattice made of knots.
metatronic solid face (hexahedron)
A single shape shows four negative paths curving around the center where they would otherwise intersect.
isometric hex knot
Outlined knot segments are inlaid with copper wire. Each segment follows a path which eventually returns to its origin.
unicursal polygonal tercet
Stippled paint creates a unicursal knot design. The aggregation of dots suggests straight lines not present in the artwork. This single component is connected end to end with two rotated copies to create the knot. Doubling the individual segments of the knot design does not disrupt the over / under pattern that knot diagrams have.
Pool of the Black Star album art
album art and some extras for guitar duo KillDry
unicursal spiral tercet
Intersecting spirals become one line. The line can be traced from any point back to its origin.