Senior Art Exhibit 2008 - Carter Catchings

"Without mathematics there is no art."
-Luca Pacioli

This series of oil paintings is intended to express a dynamic relationship through the mixing of opposite ideas. First, I wished to combine my studies of studio art with my love for computer art. I consolidated these two artistic methods by using the mathematical form of the golden spiral: a form that is commonly used in the creation of computer fractal art. This spiral form serves as the structural backbone of my paintings. The second relationship I wished to portray was that of math and art. I believe that all artists experience math in some form, whether through observing proportions of a subject, or through creating aesthetic divisions of space in their imagery. By creating mathematical forms in art, this relationship is also expressed. Finally, the golden spiral relates to both math and to nature. Its pattern is found in many natural forms, from atoms, to nautilus shells, to spiral galaxies. Nature is full of mystery and chaos, but a simple mathematical form like the golden spiral brings out order in the chaos, and it is a remarkable fingerprint to remind us of the power and majesty of our Creator