2018 Joint Mathematics Meetings
Natalie Hobson
Artists
Natalie Hobson
Associate Professor of Mathematics
Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California, USA
Statement
I am fascinated by the beauty and complexity of “basic” mathematical concepts. My goal is for others to share in this fascination in my art, research, and teaching. The art I showcase here is an attempt to make an abstract thought into a material product: a theorem into a blanket.
Artworks
Pythagoras' Rainbow Quilt
210 x 150 cm
Cotton fabric
2017
This design begins with an elementary geometric concept that illustrates the relationships between areas of squares formed from the sides of a right triangle. Iterating this concept leads to a beautiful fractal which, when looking deeper and deeper, leads to an abundance of beauty and intrigue. What area of the quilt is covered by purple fabric, by blue fabric, …, by red fabric? This quilt showcases the beauty that is possible through angles: a rainbow of color and a pattern of squares.