2013 Joint Mathematics Meetings
Regina Valluzzi
Artists
Statement
I often ask myself whether I'm a physical scientist who also creates art, or an artist who has studied a bit too much math and physics. In all honesty, I draw and paint the way I do because of my background in the Physical Sciences. Many of my drawings feature explicit motifs and ideas drawn directly from mathematics and physics and digressions into molecular biology, biophysics, and nearby fields. Most also incorporate patterns and ideas of order drawn from Statistical Physics. Visually, these ideas create drawings that coalesce from patterns of tiny lines and shapes.
Artworks
Archimedes Chiral
16 x 13 inches (framed)
ink on paper
2011
Archimedes Chiral is a pun on the Archimedes Spiral, which is a 2 dimensional chiral object. in this case the black ink patterns overlaid on the spiral suggest differing chiral environments and entities interacting with the spiral path.
Archival art marker was used on the reversed side of the drawing, layered heavily and allowed to seep through. This creates colored regions that retain their geometry, but gain texture and softness from the properties of ink spreading and diffusion. Darkening at the edges of many of the colored shapes creates the illusion of a fine line outline, yet shades softly into the shapes’ interiors. The “bleed through” color pattern is a perfect complement to drawn fine line traceries and soft stippled patterns.
D-branes
15 x 17 inches (framed)
ink on paper
2011
D-branes is a playful artist's visualization of a mathematical idea used in String Theory. It was created using archival pigment ink and and art marker on acid free drawing paper. The marker drawing was started on the reverse side of the paper in neutral colors, and layers so the ink would bleed through. Line drawings were created on the “bleed through” side to complement the soft shapes and textures of the marker “branes”. Bold details were added in bright flat colors using marker on the front side of the drawing.