John Nicholson

Associate Professor
Austin Peay State University
Clarksville, Tennessee, USA

As a child, I was interested in mathematics and art. Eventually, I discovered computers and programming. Once I realized I could connect computer programs to both math and art, I spent many hours writing many small and large programs that could generate all types of images including fractals, 3d renderings, complex curves, and generative art. I continue to explore the intersection of math, art and computer science, both as a pastime and as a way to inspire the students in the computer science courses I teach.

Variations on curve stitching, #2
Variations on curve stitching, #2
41 x 41 cm
Inkjet on Aluminum
2019

This work displays several variations of curve stitching density plots, in which the color densities that arise in traditional curve stitching images are emphasized. The density plot approach allows me to explore the interactions of different curves. In the large top left variation, a circle and a hypotrochoid interact together to create a complex, layered result. The smaller variations, starting at the top right, include multiple squares and a single circle, a square and a circle, several rotating lemniscates, an epicycloid and a circle, and multiple circles and a single, larger circle.