Stephen M Campbell

Statement

Networks and non-euclidean geometry were the ‘gate way drugs’ for me to plunge into Mathematics. My paintings have always come about from wondering ‘what will happen if I apply this method?’ or ‘how can I make sense of this?’ In this way I use Mathematics as a frame work for approaching a subject or as a tool to solve a problem, such as “what would this look like through the back of my head?”, “what if the surface of my eye was bigger than the thing I am looking at?” Being relatively new to the world of Mathematics I have to say my Mathematical tool box is rather meagre, but the more I learn the more I find myself asking “what would this look like?”

Artworks

This is a painting of Majolica works in Manchester. I painted it from observation using my hand made oil paints as I always do. I used my own interpretation of perspective similar to a stereographic projection. I am studying mathematics in part to be able to understand and express this process through the language of maths. Within the painting you may notice an harmonograph and klein bottle as well as a variety of patterns and shapes more common to a potters' workshop. The painting covers an almost complete view of the room, looking down making the horizon into a circle and the space above into an inverted grid.