MateMagicArte

FLOW AND MOTION

VECTOR FIELDS are mathematical representations of ocean currents, magnetic fields and other natural phenomena, all governed by the laws and constraints of the physical world.

These drawings originate from similar equations, intentionally freed from those physical laws.

NATURAL DIS/ORDER

Ken Perlin created the function that bears his name in 1983 while working on visual effects for a Disney production.

PERLIN NOISE produces mathematical patterns that are completely random yet natural and organic in appearance – resembling clouds, wind-blown grass or rippling surfaces.

In these drawings, shapes and colors emerge from that brilliant idea.

INFINITE COMBINATIONS

In 1704, Father Sébastien TRUCHET observed that endlessly varied patterns could be generated from a single decorative tile, simply by changing its orientation.

That simple concept – later developed and popularized in the 1980s by C. S. Smith – is the foundation of these drawings.

THE GRAMMAR OF GROWTH

In 1968, Aristid LINDENMAYER created a mathematical language to describe how plant cells behave and how vegetation grows: a few simple syntactic rules, repeated over and over, generate branches and other shapes.

Those same rules – along with others inspired by them, plus a bit of artistic licence – bring these drawings to life.

LINES IN BETWEEN

A two-dimentional plane – like a sheet of paper – can be split in two, then split again, and again.

At school, we learned precision, symmetry and straight lines.

Here, as in nature, it takes only a breath of wind: the paper drifts, a comma shifts – and suddenly, the outcome is unpredictable.

OTHER DIMENSIONS

A sheet of paper has only two dimensions, yet it can pretend to have three.

The techniques for depicting three-dimensional objects on a flat surface date back to the late Middle Ages.

The same methods, together with a few extra tricks, give these drawings the illusion of a depth – a depth that exists only in the realm of imagination.

INTERFERENCES

Simple basic elements, such as circles or triangles, vie for space and color, either randomly or according to a predefined scheme.

At times they interact, at other times they simply coexist, resulting in compositions you might not expect.