Anicet Mikolai Heller

Artist, Musician
Boston MA, USA

I have always seen math in everything. In music, languages, and nature, it has inevitably made its way into my artwork. My latest works, which I call 'geoscapes', are my oil on canvas interpretations of computer generated graphs of three-dimensional functions.

In our universe, there are universal constants that define how our universe behaves, and ultimately, our reality. These constants are so finely balanced that even the slightest deviation from their set values would yield a universe devoid of life. When I am formulating my subject, I think of each configuration as a universe of its own that I must fine-tune in the same way. The four universal constants for each universe I create are: the function, its frame limits, the resolution of calculation, and the imposed colors or patterns. After these are set, I must navigate the viewing angle, and in essence 'search for life' that will be reborn and have new life on canvas.

z = tan(x^2) - tan(y^2) :: Samurai
z = tan(x^2) - tan(y^2) :: Samurai
36" x 24"
oil on canvas
2010

Seen from below, the central saddle curve armors the core of this noble warrior, as his asymptotic aura radiates the type of charisma that can be felt for miles.

z = x^2 • csc(y) :: Harlequin
z = x^2 • csc(y) :: Harlequin
36" x 24"
oil on canvas
2010

This playful character is seen from a top down view. Since the frame limit for the y-axis is set to 3π, one can see a total of one and a half cycles of the cosecant function- one full cycle in the center, and two quarter cycles on each side.

z = csc (x • y) :: Fireborne II
z = csc (x • y) :: Fireborne II
36" x 24"
oil on canvas
2011

The second in its series, this function's viewing angle is positioned in a way that is dissected by the incoming asymptotes, revealing its faceted interior.