2017 Joint Mathematics Meetings
Karen Yokley
Artists
Karen Yokley
Professor of Mathematics
Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Elon University
Elon, North Carolina, USA
Statement
I am interested in how the beauty of mathematics can be represented using different media and different color palettes. My work is influenced by my career as an applied mathematician as well as my general interest in aesthetics. Specifically, I like the inherent randomness of a hand-painted (or hand-drawn) image that is inspired by more precise curves or mathematical designs.
Artworks
Starburst
30 x 30 cm
acrylic on canvas
2016
The painting uses geometry and tessellation to represent a star with spiral extensions and was designed to have (in general) rotational symmetry. The underlying geometry is the foundational model for the starburst concept, and the nature of painting by hand represents adding noise and approximation. The variation in painted dots results in a small loss of symmetry when viewed closely, but the overall impression of the painting displays symmetry when viewed from a distance. The color palette and overall arrangement was chosen in order to imply motion and create dimension.