Robert Fathauer: Fire and Ice
Artist(s):
Title:
- Fire and Ice
Exhibition:
Creation Year:
- 2003
Size:
- 22 in x 20 in
Category:
Artist Statement:
I am interested in the use of mathematics to create art that explores the themes with which I am personally intrigued. These are the infinite, the mathematical nature of the universe, the interplay of science and religion in this context, and my own relationship to, or place in, the universe.
The mathematical content of my work draws on the fields of tiling, fractals, or both. The mathematical constructs that appear in my works are of my own discovery. The fractal objects I employ are graphically constructed, in contrast to the more common computation fractals such as the Mandelbrot set. Over several years, I have discovered a wide variety of fractal tilings and related constructs, and I have published two papers on these in the journal Computers and Graphics. These constructs are employed in many of my digital prints.
The work of M.C. Escher has been a major source of inspiration for me, and I have executed a number of prints based on tilings in which the individual tiles are recognizable, Escheresque motifs. I have tried to extend Escher’s work by taking advantage of mathematical discoveries made since Escher’s time, most notably fractals, as well as by using a personal computer to create constructs that are too complex to create by hand.
While my recent artworks are digital prints, I have also worked with screen prints, woodcuts, acrylic painting, and stained glass. In addition to artworks, I produce tiling puzzles. I also work as a research scientist in the field of semiconductor materials and devices.
