Aesthetics


My intent is to express modern technology as a pure art form.  To stay true to my intent, I have engineered my works aesthetics.



                                                Engineered Aesthetics is:

    The application of scientific and mathematical principles to practical ends 
    such as product design that incorporates the philosophical nature and
    expression of beauty.



I have developed three broad themes to implement this ideal.


                                                       Sacred Geometry

The ancient Greeks either discovered or created the western ideal of beauty. We seem to be hard wired to view certain shapes, proportions and balances as visually pleasing. Based on these observations and the desire to mathematically express the perfection of heaven, they developed the equations of sacred geometry.

The ancients considered the square, triangle and circle to be "pure" forms. The circle, being the shape of the sun and planets, was thought to be especially sacred and mysterious. I use these forms along with scared geometry and the sense and emotion of beauty to engineer aesthetics.


                                                                Binary

Binary is the elemental particle of today's digital empires.  For every little snippet of a second worldwide, trillions of semiconductor and solid-state gates count in binary by switching the flow of electrons. It is a pervasive, universal part of our daily, hourly and minute-to-minute existence, yet most of us will never in our lifetimes experience it directly.

The lights in each piece of sculpture indicate the time of day in binary. I have made binary visible and expressed it as art with a temporal element. Each piece changes each minute, cascading from one light pattern to the next following a fixed mathematical sequence. Yet even though it is art, this binary logic still performs a utilitarian function -- the peculiar sequencing of 0s and 1s that we use to indicate time.


                                                     The Natural Element

I have balanced the crisp lines of each piece with a natural element. Organic stone and wood against engineered metal are the natural against the man made. They symbolize the duality, the imposition, the benefits and the bane of our technology thrust into nature.

Each of man's primitive cultures has words for at least three colors: black, red and white. This primal palate combines two shades and one dramatic color that is worthy of our first utterances. Upon white, all other colors are visible; black is the opposing bookend of everything in between; a slash of red against black portrays feelings ancient and strong. This is my primary palate.


Herein lies the power of these pieces. The visible pervasive mathematical underpinning of modern technology has been honored and made visible.  It is engineered in a precision-machined form based on the classical ideals of beauty. Technology expressed as art, constructed to perform a useful function.