Christopher Shaver

“ Fractaled Fire ”

Digital Photography, 11" x 14" framed, 2008.



This work is a collage of photos taken during the fireworks display at Fair St. Louis on July 4, 2008. Each firework is somewhat self-similar and recursive in nature, with a common pattern appearing at both the center and the outer edges, and each piece having almost the same appearance. The shape is complex even on a small scale. The dimension of a firework is difficult to comprehend since its shape is constantly changing over time, but is a three-dimensional display. The change over time can be viewed and even is part of the overall image because of the appearance of the smoke left behind in the same shape as the colored flame.



Christopher Shaver, student, Rockhurst University, Department of Mathematics and Physics, Kansas City, Missouri, USA

"These art pieces are the product of a student research project I was a part of, exploring the relationship between art and math by a study of fractals. My role in the project was more math-oriented, but each of us participating in the project created several art pieces depicting the math concepts we were exploring. I am very much a beginner at all types of visual art, so these pieces were attempts to express my interest in mathematics in an artistic fashion. My hope is that the viewer of my art will begin to better understand the link between art and math and the overall beauty inherent to the fractaled patterns of the world around us."


ShaverC@hawks.rockhurst.edu
http://www.rumathphysics.org/FractalArt/