2020 Joint Mathematics Meetings
John Nicholson
Artists
Statement
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.
Artworks
Flowers
41 x 41 cm
Inkjet on Aluminum
2019
Although the title of this work is “Flowers” and, at first glance, may appear to be a field of flowers, the models and their components are entirely mathematical. Each flower is created using a variation on traditional curve stitching. The petals are circles whose sizes and position are first determined using the curve stitching algorithm and then scaled and rotated to appear as petals. The center of each flower is a curve stitching density plot created with the same parameters as the flower’s petals. The variety among the different models is achieved by varying the curve stitching parameters for each flower.