David Reimann
Through my art I make visible the beauty and wonder I see in the often abstract world of mathematics. I enjoy giving visual representations to mathematical concepts such as number, form, and process. I often use patterns that convey messages at multiple levels and scales using a wide variety of mathematical elements and media. Some of my work contains fine detail that allows the art to be viewed differently depending on the distance between the viewer and the art. Another prevalent theme in my work is symmetry, where the overall pattern is created by repeated rotation or translation of a smaller very similar units.
This piece is from a series inviting contemplation on the human condition. It consists of 625 lines that represent flagella on the millions of spermatozoa present near the moment of conception. The line lengths are randomly sampled from a data set of ages at the time of death in the US during 2007. The heads are placed in a phyllotactic arrangement, similar to the placement of seeds found on some flower heads. The viewer is invited to reflect on the questions "To what extent does our genetic material predetermine the length of our lives? What portion is chance?" and "Why do some find conception easy, perhaps even unwanted, and others desperately struggle to reproduce?"