2021 Bridges Conference

Jeffrey Ventrella

Artists

Jeffrey Ventrella

Algorithmic Artist

Petaluma, California, USA

jeffrey@ventrella.com

https://ventrella.com/

https://fractalcurves.com/

https://mathviz.com/

Statement

I was a terrible math student and I failed Math 001 in college. After earning my BFA I discovered fractal geometry, and began programming. Suddenly I had a reason to care about math. Three decades later, my appetite is still growing. I use minimal algorithmic design to generate emergent art that expresses natural process. I apply my art education and design experience to incorporate visual language. The craft of visual language is fundamental to art, design, and communication media. The challenge, in my mind, is to tap this vast reservoir for the purpose of making abstract math concepts come to life and speak to a larger cross-section of people.

Artworks

Image for entry 'Golden Ratio Curve #2'

Golden Ratio Curve #2

50 x 30 x 3 cm

custom algorithm-generated image printed on archival paper

2021

Additional info

This triangle of gold is carved from a single curve. It is generated from a recursive algorithm. If iterated infinitely many times, this curve would resolve to a fractal gasket having triangular gaps with scaling proportions equal to the golden ratio. The technique is based on the tenth cyclotomic field in the complex plane, which exhibits five-fold rotational symmetry. It is related to Penrose tilings and other aperiodic patterns. It is part of a series based on the golden ratio. A custom interactive genetic algorithm is used to progressively refine the parameters. The resulting fractal curve is colored using a standard imaging application. Completed works from this series are printed on archival paper, mounted and framed.