Roman Verostko: Limited Edition of George Boole’s “Derivation of the Laws … “, Text Pages with Illustrations: Pages 15-16 and Pages 21-22

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Artist(s):


Title:


    Limited Edition of George Boole's "Derivation of the Laws ... ", Text Pages with Illustrations: Pages 15-16 and Pages 21-22

Exhibition:


Creation Year:


    2005

Medium:


    Letterpress prints from algorithmic pen-and-ink plotter drawings

Size:


    Each open book: 6 inches x 20 inches

Category:


Artist Statement:


    George Boole (1815-1864), considered the father of symbolic logic, demonstrated a method of expressing logical processes using algebraic symbols. In his “Derivation of the Laws,” he spells out the connection between Aristotle’s “principle of contradiction” and the “laws of thought” governing logical procedure. These laws, known as Boolean operators, govern the operation of the circuits and software of our digital culture. Intentions In reading of George Boole’s life and work, I was impressed with his commitmnents and interests, which ranged from classical learning and social concern to poetry. For myself, being neither a scientist nor a mathematician, I was surprised to learn that knowledge of classics informed his work with algebra. George Boole confirmed, for me, the value of maintaining continuity with the past and being open to renewal by the insights and work of those who have preceded us. This edition attempts to honor him with illustrations created with algorithmic procedures that embody his theories. All of the drawings and brush work for this edition were executed in my studio with original coded procedures. Since these procedures are informed byBoolean operations, the illustrations are descended, to some degree from his pioneer work. They are, to some ex1ent, expressions of Boole on Boole.

    Frontpieces & Endpieces
    The frontispieces and endpieces exhibit a unique and powerful texture of generative art. Each one was drawn or brushed, stroke for stroke, with a pen plotter driven with original software. One parent code was set for generating 125 frontispieces, and another was set for 125 endpieces. The procedure yielded 125 unique works, each with its own individuality bearing a familial resemblance to its “siblings.” These two families of form, 125 frontispieces and 125 endpieces, introduced a radical new procedure in post-mechanical reproduction. This edition exemplifies generative art whereby a senes of originals can be created in a family of forms using a parent code. This edition (1990) may be the first instance where an algorithmic, improvisational series of original drawings was created from a parerl code for a bound limited edition. See: www.verostko.com/boole.html

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