Harry Benke
“The Lake ”
Digital C-print (laser exposed photographic paper, i.e. Lightjet print), 15" x 12", 2007 .
The Lake is an object rising from ripples in a lake. The object is formed by placing 5 pointed stars on the transparent faces of a dodecahedron. The sin wave and harmonic ripples in the lake as well as the dodecahedron elements are rendered 3D models. The models are digitally composed with a scanned background. The mountains could also be fractal and algorithmically generated, but in this work the mountains are part of the base background scan which gives a better sense of depth to the artwork.
“Totem”
Archival Digital Print, 19" x 13.6", 2008.
Totem represents the frontier, the uncharted, the often
surprising and almost mystic nature of mathematical discovery. The totem
is composed of ellipsoids ((x^2/a^2)+(y^2/b^2)+(z^2/c^2))=1, ray-trace
rendered over an algorithmically generated fractal sky scape.
Atmospheric effects were calculated as well such as scattering, moisture
etc. The totem signifying the last guidepost to the unknown.
Harry Benke, Freelance Artist / Mathematician, Visual Impact Analysis LLC, Novato, California.
"I'm primarily an artist. My shadow is mathematics. I'm helpless at
preventing mathematics from intruding into my artwork and it is
inspiring to have the body of mathematics to work with. I use the
framework of the natural world to link the mathematical elements. My art
attempts to balance the Birkoff M = O/C and it's consequential
minimalism with more complexity to create a satisfying aesthetic
experience."
hbenke@visualimpactanalysis.com