Susan Happersett
“Infinity Remove”
Letterpress ink on paper, and silk, 15" x 9.5" x 2", 2004.
Infinity Remove is a two-sided, accordion-style artist book with silk covers.
The structure of the book is based on the first two iterations of the Cantor Set.
One side of the book features counted markings, plotted into self-similar grids.
The second side is covered with quotes about infinity from famous individuals,
including Cantor, Einstein and Gauss. Infinity Remove has been printed in letter
press using an overprinting technique using two colors (red and gold). This two-tone
printing results in the optical illusion of extra dimensions. Limited edition
of 100.
Susan Happersett with Purgatory Pie Press
"My fascination with mathematics and my love of visual arts has led me on a journey
to build a link between mathematics and drawing. It has become my mission to express
the intrinsic aesthetic value of Mathematics in a purely visual language. I use
a number of graphing and geometric plotting techniques to examine the aesthetic
characteristics of functions, sequences and series in a visual language. My drawings
are an intense accumulation of lines and mark making and have become a type of
meditation. Many of the mathematical sequences in my work involve growth patterns.
One series of drawings is based on the correlation between plant growth and the
Fibonacci Sequence (1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,...). I have also incorporated binary
code, explored self-similarity, the Cantor Set and chaos theory. Through these
drawings I hope to reveal the grace and balance in the mathematics of nature and
technology. "
http://www.happersett.com
Other works by the artist
“Fibonacci Flower”
Letterpress ink on paper, 15" x 15" x 7.5", 2006.
Fibonacci Flower is an artist book made up of letter press prints of drawings.
In each drawing I have mathematically generated a flower, using the Fibonacci
Sequence to determine the number of petals in the outer ring of each bloom. On
the first page there is one petal inside on petal. On the next page, the flower
grows with a new ring of two petals. The next page three-petal ring, the five,
eight, up to 34 petals. Fibonacci Flower has a unique structure that is a combination
of an accordion and a sewn binding, that allows the viewer to see two or three
consecutive Fibonacci flowers at the same time. Edition of 23.
“Happersett Accordion”
Letterpress ink on paper, 12" x 12" x 5", 2001.
Happersett Accordion is a paper Moebius structure. The paper is folded in tiny
accordion folds that are covered in markings, alternating in black and white.
This technique creates a Moebius with two distinct faces. Depending on the angle
at which the accordion is viewe in a special box with a certificate of authenticity
that is a humorous explanation of the sculpture. This is a limited, boxed edition
of 100.