Approaching Zero
a mural about the void
I have a crush on mathematics: call it a hobby or a fascination, but
for me it is a passionate (if one-sided) affair. My work uses precise
measurement and calculated repetition to consider the division of
space and the infinite series of sequences that make up the universe
-- or at the very least, those small pockets of the universe that sit
between my paintings and the viewer. My practice of painting is rooted
in an exploration of geometry. Early on in my life I was pretty good
in mathematics - I was not at the top of my class however, I was above
average. That was a long time ago. I have left the precision of
numbers and equations far behind for a more intuitive approach towards
defining, or reducing, a surface to basic spacial features.
One thing that I find interesting about numbers is the idea of zero.
It is the opposite of a value, a non value if you will. Another thing
that fascinates me about math is the concept of an irrational number -
a value that cannot be expressed by a fraction. One example of this is
found when graphing a tangent function. In doing so one is left with a
series of curves divided by a frequency of vertical asymptotes -
points on the graph where the function is undefined. There are points
along the graph where the lines never touch. They venture into
infinity, getting closer and closer, yet they never connect. I have
taken some poetic license with these two concepts and combined them to
represent the intangible aspects of creativity - the undefinable
moments of creative process - Approaching Zero.
With this painting I began the process with the eastern wall of the
gallery. Taking its shape, I reflected the pitch of the ceiling into
an “x” across the center of the wall. As a result the “x” defined a
diamond shape in the middle. The fade to white in the heart of that
shape is my interpretation of zero, as defined by my own irrational
process.