Clifford Singer
"Mechanical Universe"
Digital print. Overall size 16" x 20". 2001-2004.
Clifford Singer holds a Masters of Fine Arts degree from the City College of New York. He has both taught art and mathematics. He has worked in a variety of media and has had several solo exhibitions of his work.
"In 1970, I knew in my heart that I should devote my life work to geometry in art. I have had an interest in geometric art that has led me through a progression of phases with my work beginning in 1968. Of course, I was quite young at the time but non-the-less Irene Rice Pereira's Oblique Progression at the Whitney Museum took me. Rudolf Arnheim's Entropy and Art was a great inspiration to me and in recent years I had had correspondence with Prof. Dr. Arnheim, where he had inscribed in my copy "To Clifford Singer and his inspired geometry - Rudolf Arnheim August 1999.
"The emphasis of the work has been within the range of purely geometrical thought and vision since about 1972-1973. Since my decision early on, to do geometric work, I found myself rooted in researching everything that I found to be mathematical in geometric measurability. These concerns brought me through studying Bauhaus exercises from teachers such as Kandinsky, Marc, Mondrian, Seuphor, Bill, Weininger, Gabo and Albers. From a post-colonial perspective of the world and art, I have recognized that as an American artist the variable levels of influence that shape an international and universal ideal for this art form is unquestionable.
"During my university education, I found myself fortunate in be a student to students of Albers and Held. Later on, upon moving to New York City where I still reside I have had the privilege of meeting many interesting people in the art community. In 1983, I was in Kovesdy Gallery in New York where I saw a drawing using the circle, square, and triangle. I enquired with the gallery owner, Paul Kovesdy, about the work and I was informed that the artist Andor Weininger was alive and living in New York. Andor Weininger visited my studio the next day viewing a 32-foot mural that I had just completed as a commission for the Mobil Oil headquarters in New York. Mr. Weininger had also read a paper that I had written at the time and remarked, "you will be one of the great ones. You should have your retrospective at the Guggenheim." In 1986, Denise Rene visited my studio [after written correspondence with her in Paris] viewing my portals series dealing with Reimannian space. Denise Rene with Wen-YingTsai invited me that evening to dinner at his old studio on Broadway, and Pol Bury who was also in New York at that time. I received a solo exhibition at the Vasarely Center, New York in 1988. The summer of 1991 was perhaps one of the most special times for me in my life. The Mostly Mozart Festival in Tokyo poster that I designed for Lincoln Center in 1991 was exhibited in New York and Tokyo simultaneously. My post-doctoral work in philosophy and mathematics lead me to teacher licensing. In addition, I have a Master of Fine Arts degree. From 1991 to the present I have been a licensed teacher of mathematics and art. I served 10 years with The City of New York as Program Chairman and Teacher. Currently, I teach mathematics for the Clark County School District in Nevada. During my visit to Paris in 1997 Michel Seuphor invited me to his studio. We traded a drawing for a drawing and I signed some of my printed matter in trade for an exhibition announcement of his. His exhibition announcement was for a retrospective exhibition to be held that August in Germany and he signed it to me "To Clifford Singer, That he may sing for a very long time Michel Seuphor." Michel Seuphor mentioned while looking at photographs of my artworks that Kandinsky would have liked my work. Early in 1998, I met Francois Morellet in New York after receiving an invitation to the reception of his exhibition of light sculpture. The next day Francois and his wife visited my studio and we had a brief but enriching conversation. The Morellets were on a speedy schedule and we had an enjoyable visit.
"Time and work since 1998 after my lecture at U. of C., Berkeley in the Art & Mathematics conference and at Oxford in 2000 has taken a special place. I have published papers and lectured on my artworks at Bridges Kansas, A&M 98 Berkeley, ISAMA 1999 Spain, and QRM Oxford. My production of many new paintings, publishing numerous papers on geometrical art and my theories on it is now continuing along with my teaching work. Whereby, in 1999, I received an invitation to participate in an international exhibition of abstract geometric art at the Mondriaanhaus 2000-2001 in Holland. For the Art & Mathematics 2000 exhibition at The Cooper Union in New York I was Curator and Editor. Ivars Peterson wrote an article for FOCUS, December 2000 on Art & Mathematics 2000 and featured my painting entitled Quartic on the front cover. My wife and I have four-year-old daughter Juliette Florianne. Currently, I published a recent paper with Mathematics and Design in Argentina entitled, Geometrical Art as an Applied Science. Recent paintings in progress are from my series of drawings entitled, Cut Space Series."
Cliff's work may be viewed at:
Truly Virtual Web Art Museum, Math Marries Art, a virtual exhibition by Clifford Singer, Copyright 2000,
http://www.lastplace.com/EXHIBITS/VIPsuite/CSinger/index.htm.
Cliff may be reached by e-mail at CliffordhS@aol.com.