Susan Happersett
In my art, I explore the aesthetic qualities of mathematics through
sequences, series, and mapping. I express my ideas in drawings,
sculptures, artist's books, and videos. Recurring themes in my work
are the Fibonacci Sequence, Chaos Theory, symmetry, the Cartesian
Coordinate System, the Cantor Set, Self Similarity and Fractals.
Crucial to me is that all my work is hand-drawn: I design the
algorithm and then I execute it by hand. I am the computer. I have
always been interested is creating hyperbolic forms using basic
geometric paper shapes, Möbius strips and circles, squares, and
octagons. Now I am exploring disco rectangles (geometric stadiums). By
combining a series of identical shapes I have been able to build
complex sculptures.
“Ribbon Loop” is one of the sculptures in my new “Disco Loops”
series. Disco Loops are undulating hyperbolic sculptures using a
set of five geometric stadium shapes. The center rectangle has a
height congruent to the diameter of the end half-circles and a
width congruent with the radii. Each of the five pieces has a
two-part slit cut into it so that they can be combined by stacking
and overlapping to make the helix formation. When the shape is
unwound, so that the two loose ends connect, a complex form with
many convex and concave ruffles is formed. The drawing on “Ribbon
Loop” creates the illusion of an impossible grosgrain ribbon that
would have to be woven on a helix-shaped loom.