Artists
Alexander Taam
Teaching Assistant Professor
Department of Mathematical Sciences, Stevens Institute of Technology
Hoboken, New Jersey, USA
Statement
I am fascinated by the visual experience of mathematics and the shared routes that our minds may travel with a few vaguely drawn references. The roughness of a mathematical caricature is indeed often a valuable feature, as it gives us some room to actively engage so that the idea may be filled. My art works are aimed towards the shared space where mathematical objects are made tangible and aesthetic objects are generalized.
Artworks
Space in place, as seen by hands
25.0 x 50.0 x 15.0 cm
Anodized aluminum wire
2024
Anodized aluminum wire was bent and twisted to form some simple closed curves on a surface for this sculpture, though the (compact orientable genus 2) surface itself is not included. I find that hand-working wire is quite similar to sketching, a more common medium for the interactions between rough visual demonstration and formal mathematical objects. Those interactions are invaluable for math research, but perhaps they also hold their own structure? In our vision, we might naturally fill in gaps left by imprecise instruments and smooth the wobbles left by muscular control. This sculpture is intended to both serve as a test object for such visual tendencies and prompt reflection on any rules that guide them.