2026 Joint Mathematics Meetings

Matt Zucker

Artists

Matt Zucker

Professor of Engineering

Swarthmore College

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

mzucker1@swarthmore.edu

mzucker.github.io

shadertoy.com

View exhibition history

Statement

I have been fascinated with tessellations and tilings as long as I can remember. Since 2014, I have been posting interactive computer graphics on shadertoy.com, and since 2021, I have focused on producing tangible mathematical artworks that combine traditional and digital fabrication techniques. I aim to create works which appeal to viewers on multiple levels beyond the aesthetic. I hope that people who spend time with my work are sparked with curiosity, or are rewarded by thinking in new ways about symmetry and patterns. A recurring theme in my work is the tension between geometric structure and organic variation. Although the forms may be generated by code, the finished artwork should nonetheless reflect human creativity.

Artworks

Image for entry 'Reaction diffusion Truchet tiles in hardwood'

Reaction diffusion Truchet tiles in hardwood

25.0 x 38.0 x 2.0 cm

CNC-machined maple and walnut

2025

A Truchet tiling is a fixed set of tiles that cover a lattice while affording variation within a visual theme. I have found them to be a rewarding area of mathematical and artistic exploration due to the combination of structure and creativity that they afford. The patterns on these tiles are the result of simulating a chemical reaction using a modified Gray-Scott reaction diffusion model, starting from a random “seed”. Although their interiors may vary freely, the tiles all take on the same cross section at their edges. As a result, they meet up seamlessly no matter how they are rearranged. This work consists of three different tile patterns in two contrasting woods. Thanks to Sabetta Matsumoto for the inspiration for this artwork.