Koos Verhoeff
Artists
Koos Verhoeff
Emeritus Professor of Computer Science
Dommelen, Netherlands
Statement
Koos Verhoeff, retired Full Professor of Computer Science at the Erasumus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands, has designed and constructed mathematical art since the early 1980s. He mainly designs 3D sculptures, constructed in wood, bronze, aluminum, stainless steel, and plastics, often involving mitered beams. He has described himself as more of an explorer and a discoverer than a designer. He wonders and wanders about the abstract world of mathematical structures, looking for forms with intriguing mathematical properties as well as aesthetic appeal.
Artworks
Borromean Rings in Stainless Steel
31 x 31 x 31 cm
Stainless Steel
Late 1990s
Three elongated hexagons from stainless steel interlock to form a tight Borromean ring structure. The hexagons have a V-shaped cross section, consisting of two strips welded together at a 120-degree angle along a longitudinal edge. In the hexagons, all internal angles are 120-degree regular miter joints. The six sides of the hexagons were maximally shortened to obtain a tight design. The resulting sculpture looks like a multifaceted polyhedron with both convex and concave regions, giving rise to an appealing interplay of lighter and darker faces. For further information, see the Bridges 2015 paper “Three Families of Mitered Borromean Ring Sculptures” by Tom Verhoeff and Koos Verhoeff.