MATH AND ART

Two great tastes

By CARRIGAN DENNY-BROWN

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Except for a certain pocket-protected echelon of society, math is something that is not deemed as particularly sexy. I don't even have to elaborate on the failed attempts of the subject in the soft-core porn industry (American Pi, Good Will is Horny ... ), but darn it if that isn't what makes the Axiom Gallery's venture into the world of math-as-art so astonishing. Until April 27, Art and Math explores the use of sophisticated mathematical concepts in sculpture, photography, and new media. In the past, Axiom has exhibited new media in experimental rather than in classical genres and the showing artists are impressively innovative. You haven't seen a Schwartz' D-surface until you've seen Bathsheba Grossman's version in 3-D printed metal, nor will you ever look upon a snack cracker the same again after seeing it as a fundamental unit of a three dimensional fractal (the work of Kevin Van Aelst). It's provocative, humorous, and it adds up ... to beauty. The gallery even welcomed its own sort of VIP, Stephen Wolfram, creator of the computer program Mathematica. "Even the world of mathematics welcomes its own type of celebrity," said Boston Cyberarts Festival Director George Fifield at the gallery's opening last Friday. And for the neophytes unversed in mathematical concepts beyond fingers, there is a welcome counterpart to the artistry. "We've included Wikipedia descriptions of math in the show," says Co-Director Phaedra Shanbaum. "It's right over there." I acted like I was going to get another drink, then high-tailed it to the Wikipedia wall.

MATH AND ART

UNTIL 4.27

WED.-THU. 6PM-9PM, SAT. 2PM-5PM/FREE

AXIOM ART GALLERY

141 GREEN ST.

JAMAICA PLAIN

617.953.6413

AXIOMART.ORG