2015 Joint Mathematics Meetings
Peter Sittner
Artists
Statement
A lifelong woodworker, I enjoy crafting unique and challenging items. Half the fun is solving the technical problems/puzzles each piece presents. While the math behind my sculptures is basic, it must be precise for the joinery to work. My fascination with solid geometry recently led me to the work of M. C. Escher. His print, Mobius Band II, is the inspiration for my sculpture Torroid.
Artworks
Torroid
13X13x4.5 inches
Wood Sculpture
2014
Torroid is a Mobius Band. First defined in the 19th century, the form has captured the interest of mathematicians and artists alike. It is unique in that it has only one surface and one boundary component. It is made by adding a half twist to a band and joining the ends. A "non-orientable" surface, Torroid has no front or back, left or right. It appears identical from any two perspectives 180 degrees out of phase in the horizontal plane. It is made of 360 pieces of wood, half Oak and half Maple arranged in a checkerboard like pattern.