Jennifer E. Padilla

Statement

I express the beauty of mathematical abstraction and scientific inquiry through my art. From the perspective of a former researcher in nucleic acid and protein design, the subjects of symmetry, algorithmic assembly, and recursion remain central to my work. My research was focused on self-assembly of molecules, how the assembly process could be guided by symmetry, and how it could relate to computation. In my artwork, I like to explore connections between Islamic geometric design and topics ranging from Euclidean geometry to algorithmic assembly, quasiperiodic order, and other themes. Substitution tilings, such as the Penrose tiling, are a personal favorite for the visual connection that can be created with the concept of recursion.

Artworks

Three substitution tilings, the Penrose tiling, the binary tiling, and the Ammann-Beenker tiling, find their way across the pages of three accordion books. Along the way, they find their expression as Islamic geometric designs with multilevel design elements. A Penrose tiling of embossed rosettes reveals the rhomb tile shapes of its standard rhomb form. The binary tiling features alternate coloration of local 5-fold rotational symmetries, transitioning from its rhomb form to an Islamic geometric form across the pages. The Ammann-Beenker tiling finds its harmony with zellij patterns, having ever more complex designs superimposed over its local symmetries as they scale with its recursive structure.