Debra L. Hydorn

Statement

"What if..." is something that I ask my students to consider when they are exposed to a new area of mathematics. What if we change the definition of a binary relation? What if we change what it means to add or multiply when working with vectors? Students are often surprised by the results and can develop a deeper understanding of some abstract concepts. I have tried to apply "what if" to how I create my art and to the puzzles I often represent in my work. This exercise has resulted in some welcome surprises for me.

Artworks

CP 2 was created using the 2nd solution I found to the side-corner puzzle I developed during COVID. I again chose 8 colors to fill in squares and triangles, but I decided to try to create the effect of a waterfall by coloring in more of these shapes. Based on the coloring rules I set for myself, the streams of color sometimes skip a shape as the images is viewed from top to bottom. I accept that result, rather than coloring in other shapes, as the streams from one column of squares seem to travel from side to side.