Kerry Mitchell
"Above and Below"
Digital print, 20" x 16", 2006
While loosely inspired by Escher's "Above and Below," this image looks
nothing like it. It's a zoom into the neighborhood of a Misiurewicz
point in the Mandelbrot set. The journey to this particular point is
exhibited in the pattern of branching arms: from outer to inner, 2 then
3, 4, 5, and finally, 6. This reflects the fact that this zoom is taken
from a six-armed spiral disk on a five-armed spiral disk on a four-armed
spiral disk on a three-armed spiral disk on the two-armed spiral disk.
"One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish"
Digital print, 20" x 20", 2005
This image is composed of two sets of Bezier cubic splines. Each set is
defined by four cubics splines: two anchor curves and two control
curves. The four points defining each individual curve come from
interpolating points on the four base curves. The resemblance to fish
is a happy accident.
"Squares with Concentric Rings 1"
Digital print, 20" x 17", 2004
This image is based on Wassily Kandinsky's painting of the same name.
In my version, the rings are regular polygons and the bands of color are
guilloche curves of various frequencies. All of the parameters of the
image are based on the number 60. For example, the numbers of sides of
the polygons, 3, 4, 5, and 6, are all factors of 60. The frequencies of
the guilloche curves were chosen such that each curve makes 60
revolutions before closing.
Kerry Mitchell
Essential Skills Manager, Maricopa Skill Center
Statement about my art:
"My work is composed primarily of computer generated,
mathematically-inspired, abstract images. I draw from the areas of
geometry, fractals and numerical analysis, and combine them with image
processing technology. The resulting images powerfully reflect the
beauty of mathematics that is often obscured by dry formulae and analyses.
An overriding theme that encompasses all of my work is the wondrous
beauty and complexity that flows from a few, relatively simple, rules.
Inherent in this process are feedback and connectivity; these are the
elements that generate the patterns. They also demonstrate to me that
mathematics is, in many cases, a metaphor for the beauty and complexity
in life. This is what I try to capture."