Stephen M Campbell
Networks and non-euclidean geometry were the ‘gate way drugs’ for me
to plunge into Mathematics. My paintings have always come about from
wondering ‘what will happen if I apply this method?’ or ‘how can I
make sense of this?’ In this way I use Mathematics as a frame work for
approaching a subject or as a tool to solve a problem, such as “what
would this look like through the back of my head?”, “what if the
surface of my eye was bigger than the thing I am looking at?”
Being relatively new to the world of Mathematics I have to say my
Mathematical tool box is rather meagre, but the more I learn the more
I find myself asking “what would this look like?”
This is a painting of Majolica works in Manchester. I painted it
from observation using my hand made oil paints as I always do. I
used my own interpretation of perspective similar to a
stereographic projection. I am studying mathematics in part to be
able to understand and express this process through the language
of maths. Within the painting you may notice an harmonograph and
klein bottle as well as a variety of patterns and shapes more
common to a potters' workshop.
The painting covers an almost complete view of the room, looking
down making the horizon into a circle and the space above into an
inverted grid.