Karen Yokley

Professor of Mathematics
Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Elon University
Elon, North Carolina, USA

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.

Fractal Firework
Fractal Firework
20 x 20 cm
Acrylic paint on canvas
2020

Brush strokes were created extending from the center of the canvas before the painting was sectioned to create an “explosion.” A rough fractal pattern was used, and the painting displays symmetry in the overall pattern. The color palate becomes darker away from center with lighter colors used to highlight some of the geometry.