Susan Happersett

Statement

In my art, I explore the aesthetic qualities of mathematics through sequences, series and, now, mapping. I express my ideas in drawings, paintings, artist's books, and videos. My 20-year mission has been to introduce people to the beauty and grace I find in mathematics through art. I explore the aesthetic qualities of mathematics through sequences, series and, mapping. Recurring themes in my work are the Fibonacci Sequence, Chaos Theory, the Cartesian Coordinate System, the Cantor Set, Self-Similarity and Fractals. Crucial to me is that all my work is hand-drawn. I design the algorithm and then I execute it by hand. I am the computer.

Artworks

The hand-drawn “Spiraling Squares” uses a grid of squares with 9 points on each side. Within each is a square with 7 points on each side and a square with 5 points on each side. The placement of these additional squares is alternating lining up with the top left corner and bottom right corner. This creates the sense of a spiraling motion.