Helena Verrill

Artist/Mathematician
Warwick University
Coventry, United Kingdom

Transitions and variations: In these works, I take a mathematical/artistic theme, and look at variations on this theme; the relationships between the members of the family; patterns of transition from one element to another; the combinatorial aspects of counting and displaying artistically variations on the theme. Variations may be continuous or discrete. The individual members of the family might not not be as interesting in themselves as they are interesting as part of a large family.

Circle path variation (1 of series 1)
Circle path variation (1 of series 1)
30 x 30 cm
oil on canvas
2019

This shows one of the possible ways of taking paths round the circumferences of three intersecting circles. This is part of a series of art works on this theme, investigating combinatorics of counting paths on three circles, and a study of the different relationships between the possible dissections of the parts of these circles.

origami wrapping paper bow tessellation variation
origami wrapping paper bow tessellation variation
60 x 60 x 10 cm
mixed media, paper, oil paint, pencil, ink, on canvas
2019

This work starts with a simple tessellatable origami (top left), which is a variation on the traditional origami pinwheel, and considers possible developments. Crease patterns are included, showing the first few steps of an infinite sequence of something looking like stacked bows. The viewer is invited to study the relationships between the origamis, with each other and the diagrams.