2018 Joint Mathematics Meetings
Erika Balogh
Artists
Erika Balogh
Artist, Designer, and Educator
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Edinburg, Texas, USA
Statement
As a visual artist, I am fascinated with symbolism, colors, and decorative art. In my new artworks, I concentrate on the analysis of patterns and symmetry. The focus of my exploration is to illustrate geometric and irregular shapes and the patterns created by their repetition. Patterns can be found in nature and in human creations abundantly. Symmetry is a shared concept in mathematics and art. Symmetrical compositions are aesthetically pleasing and suggesting calmness. Our brains inadvertently seek out symmetry everywhere.
Artworks
"LIFE"
50 x 40 x 1 cm
digital art
2017
My intention is to create a contrast between man-made and natural. The symmetrical design in the foreground represents a sense of harmonious proportion and balance. The background, on the other hand, illustrates something eerie. The man-made symmetrical design symbolizes life, a precious existence of humanity taken for granted in an unforgiving environment.
I generated the irregular shape in a computer graphics program. Then, I applied radial symmetry to rotate the identical - partially overlapping - shape 12 times. As a result, I have an aesthetically pleasing, but complex geometric design in the center of my composition. However, the harsh colors and the irregular patterns in the background suggesting something different.