Galen T. Pickett

Statement

I am enthralled by geometry, the interlocking of shapes.  In a very real sense, shapes coming together to make patterns are the source of all of the textures and complexities of life itself.  What you see here are explorations, experiments, I have made in paper.  There is no denying that I am the one who conceived of these compositions, and that I executed them with my hands.  And yet, I am just a surprised by them as you might be.  The physics of the medium here *is* the medium, and the ordinary tension between intent and what a medium will allow is instead a peaceful equilibrium.  Once these shapes have been coaxed into life, they seem, to me, satisfied.  I hope that you find some sense of symmetry, balance, and serenity in these pieces.

Artworks

A single sheet of scarlet art paper has been folded into this regular array of sunflower-like shapes, with no cutting or gluing. This is an example of an "origami tessellation," and while the underlying lattice has a trivial geometry, the variation in the petals and even flower-to-flower variations gives the impression of a much more free expression. One can think of this as a dirty 2d crystal.

A fractal of fractals, this piece relies on a separation of length scales between the concentric domains and the nested, crumpled pleats. This separation in scale provides the piece with an elasticity that is hinted by its mounting in a frame.