2023 Bridges Conference Art Exhibition

Elizabeth Bailey Matson, Ph.D.

Artists

Elizabeth Bailey Matson, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Mathematics

Division of Mathematics and Computer Science, Alfred University

Alfred, New York, USA

matson@alfred.edu

https://www.alfred.edu/academics/faculty-staff/profiles/matson-elizabeth.cfm

Statement

Throughout my educational journey, I have embraced my love of math as a career and my love of art as stress relief. Delving further into fiber arts, my stress relief mechanism has morphed to become a part of my career work as well. Noting the similarity in the shape of a hyperbolic plane model to flowing skirts, my piece for Bridges 2022 was formulated. After having the pleasure to meet Daina Taimina at Bridges 2022 and attend the conference, hearing about others’ journeys in math and art, I was inspired to make this year's piece. As a female mathematician, I am proud to have embraced and developed a traditional craft, turning simple materials into mathematical models, which also add value and beauty to my teaching.

Artworks

Image for entry 'It's a Long Story: A Crocheted Pseudosphere with Ratio 11:12'

It's a Long Story: A Crocheted Pseudosphere with Ratio 11:12

38.0 x 38.0 x 13.0 cm

Crocheted with 900 Yards of Yarn, Stitch Markers, and a 3.00 mm Crochet Hook

2023

This crocheted pseudosphere, increasing on the 12th stitch, represents my journey in math. Each color pair has the same area, made from 200 yards of yarn, but with decreasing row counts as their circumferences grow exponentially. It began at Clarion Area High School with 48 rows. Then Houghton University with 7 rows. Then Auburn University with 5 rows. Then Alfred University with 3 rows. The last row alone is made of 70 yards of yarn, compared to the first row which has only 12 single crochets. Last, one boundary row of white for what remains of my journey. The row counts illustrate how time seems to move slower when we are young and faster as we age, but ultimately being the same length, making a long story, a fairly short one to tell.