Bridges 2026 Exhibition of Mathematical Art, Craft, and Design

Brian Redmond, Laura Marotta

Artists

Brian Redmond

Mathematics Instructor

School of Applied Science and Technology, Northwestern Polytechnic

Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada

bredmond@nwpolytech.ca

View exhibition history

Laura Marotta

Artist, Visual Arts Instructor

School of Applied Science and Technology, Fine Arts, Northwestern Polytechnic

Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada

lmarotta@nwpolytech.ca

laura-marotta.com

View exhibition history

Statement

Artist Laura Marotta and mathematician Brian Redmond share an interest in geometric constraint. In the fall of 2022, they began exploring how to translate theoretical forms into tangible objects through the materials and methods of contemporary sculpture. Their collaboration honours mathematical elegance and offers geometric inquiry as aesthetic, playful, and approachable for a wide audience.

Artworks

Image for entry '18:9'

18:9

6.0 x 20.0 x 20.0 cm

colored transparent acrylic sheet, tape

2026

18:9 emerges from research into polar zonohedral geometry and its relationship to spiraling growth patterns in nature. Based on a 9-zone polar zonohedron, the construction resolves the polar singularities into cyclic rings, producing a torus-like form that reorganizes the helices into a 2:1 parastichy: eighteen counterclockwise spirals and nine clockwise spirals. Fabricated from colored transparent acrylic, each strip of rhombi reflects this underlying geometry. Transparency reveals interwoven helices and activates negative space, while contrasting colors distinguish original polar zonohedral faces from newly inserted ones. Precise cutting, scoring, and folding transform flat sheets into a luminous rotating volume inspired by plant growth.