Tag: geometric abstraction

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Exhibition – COVIMETRY at the Ely Center of Contemporary Art

Exhibition Statement

Living with a lifelong passion for Geometry and year-long isolation from the devastating pandemic Covid, artist and curator Mark Starel of Warsaw Poland brought the two together (geometry & mask) with his newest exhibit COVIMETRY.

Today human survival is dependent upon our using an “antivirus” mask covering our most noted communication tool, our mouths, along with noses and much of our face. The mask has hindered our ability to read others expressions and feelings. By adopting the mask as a template and canvas, it now becomes a form for expression- even if just a fragment of a bigger picture of our times metaphorically.

Starel also brought together over 300 artists, uniting continents and likeminded geo-zealots. His intention is to grow the exhibit until it reaches 1000 artists, representing every country as a global community. Different artistic strategies are conveyed, exploring the shape and structure of the mask through the inclusion of a variety of media, styles and techniques that allow for contemporary notions of how geometry is being investigated today.

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My Entry

How I tackled my entry was to look at the hexagon and how it might fit in relation to the shape of the mask. I had just finished the artwork CIRCULUX I, a celebration of spinning circles at the corner points and centers of hexagons. Superimposing CIRCULUX I on top of the mask, I aligned two sides of the hexagon with the side corners while centering a hexagon between them. The V rests on top of the central hexagon locking it’s geometry to that of the mask.

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New Artwork – Octo Astra II

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Octo Astra II, 2020
uv cured inkjet on cut-out composite aluminum
edition of 3, dimensions variable (overall dimension 48″ x 48″)

This work is inspired by Islamic art in my own modern way. It is constructed with nine rings of eight Khatim-Sulayman stars. Khatim-Sulayman stars are eight pointed stars that first began to appear in Islamic art in the middle ages. Khatim-Sulayan means “seal of the prophets” and are known to denote life, from birth to death. The eight pointed stars would continue to appear symbolically in spiritual traditions in many cultures around the world through history.

Here, each star is constructed with eight kites. When put together, the eight kites inscribe another eight pointed star in its center. Inscribed within this ring of eight, eight pointed stars, is a large eight pointed star with an octagon at its center. Also, inscribed in the interstitial spaces between the nine rings are four more large eight pointed stars and octagons.

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New Artwork – Isosceles Follies I

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Isosceles Follies I , 2020
uv cured inkjet on shaped composite aluminum panel
edition of 3
dimensions variable (overall 48″ x 48″)

“Isosceles Follies I” is composed solely of these two isosceles triangles.

From Euclid’s Elements – Book I – definition XX:

Of trilateral figures, an equilateral triangle is that which has its three sides equal, an isosceles triangle that which has two of its sides alone equal, and a scalene triangle that which has its three sides unequal.

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Video – Cutting on CNC Router of Hexalarious II

Multicam 3000 CNC Router cutting out Hexalarious II
(Video courtesy Vista Color Imaging)

Printing on rigid substrates opens up a new avenue of exploration in my work by allowing my geometric constructs to expand beyond the confines of square and rectangular formats with use of a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Router that can cut the substrate panel to my specifications.

Hexalarious II is printed on a composite aluminum panel. All the white areas will be cut out by the router. The cutting accuracy is precise which is necessary because of the precision of the geometry. Stand-offs will be put behind to hang and float off the wall.

I want to thank Kim and Scott and the rest of the team at Vista Color Imaging. They have been great to work with, taking extra care to ensure a great final print.

Fabrication of this artwork is made possible with an ADAP grant from the Ohio Arts Council.

The following is from my grant application, titled “The Shape of Things to Come”:

With this grant, I will create 4 artworks, printed on rigid substrates as opposed to media of the traditional digital print (paper/canvas). Printing on rigid substrates opens up a new avenue of exploration in my work by allowing my geometric constructs to expand beyond the confines of square and rectangular formats with use of a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Router that can cut the substrate panel to my specifications.

ADAP (Artists With Disabilities Access Program) provides funding that gives individual artists with disabilities—and organizations that serve them—the resources they need to further their artistic development. ADAP awards help artists with disabilities advance their artistic practices, making Ohio a more accessible and inclusive place to build an artistic career.

click here to visit the Ohio Arts Council website