2017 Joint Mathematics Meetings
Jennifer Doyle
Artists
Jennifer Doyle
Mechanical Engineer
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Berkeley, California, USA
Statement
I have loved viewing, studying, and making art for as long as I can remember - my love for science was far more late-blooming! As a mechanical engineer, I am fortunate to be situated between the two fields, constantly integrating mathematical and scientific concepts with form and design. I am inspired by the woven wire sculpture of the late artist Ruth Asawa. After recently reacquainting myself with knitting, I decided to attempt my own woven wire sculpture - in the vein of Asawa, but with a more mathematical and scientific bent.
Artworks
![Image for entry 'Klein Bottle'](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsubmit.bridgesmathart.org%2Frails%2Factive_storage%2Fblobs%2Fproxy%2FeyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6NTE5NiwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ%3D%3D--d3109f35213c031662a25a3f3485536fe6222c5f%2Fklein1.jpg&w=1536&q=75)
Klein Bottle
23 x 23 x 20 cm
Galvanized steel wire
2015
My first experiments with mathematically-themed wire sculpture have been Klein bottles. The concept of producing a sculptural Klein bottle fascinates me, as the two concepts seem to be at odds: a sculpture is, by its nature, 3-dimensional, yet a Klein bottle is not; a sculpture, by its nature, has volume, yet a Klein bottle does not.
The "classic" Klein bottle is considerably more "bottle-shaped" than my piece; I decided to shape my piece into a form more resembling two semi-toroids.
![Image for entry 'Triple Klein Bottle'](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsubmit.bridgesmathart.org%2Frails%2Factive_storage%2Fblobs%2Fproxy%2FeyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6NTE5NywicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ%3D%3D--4a99e88deb7c4cbdd03f9ce78c831f7b94e698fb%2Fklein3.jpg&w=1536&q=75)
Triple Klein Bottle
25 x 25 x 10 cm
Bronze wire
2015
Klein bottles can be linked together in odd numbers and retain their Klein-properties; this piece is a triangularly-shaped triple Klein bottle.