Jennifer E. Padilla

Artist's Statement

My art creates an avenue for the aesthetic appreciation of science and mathematics. Strolling through a gallery, contemplating works of art strikes me as the perfect model for the appreciation of science. Just as for a work of art, a work of science bears repeated contemplation from many angles, on different days, with new perspectives each time. As does a work of art, a work of science has a background story and takes time to fully understand. Yet both art and science can be appreciated instantly, in the moment, for their beauty and their depth.

Patterns and artistic abstraction carry the technical along with the intuitive. I respect the correct technical details of my scientific and mathematical subjects, retaining precise meaning, rather than merely being evocative or inspired by science. The result is the tangible representation of precise thoughts in a visual format that invites active inquiry, emotional connection, and restful contemplation.

Most recently I've been exploring the connection between Islamic geometric art and mathematical topics such as Euclidean geometry, algorithmic assembly, quasiperiodic order, crystallography and other themes. The precision and intricacy of the patterns found in Islamic geometric art converse easily with the logic of mathematics. Exploring this connection reminds me that as with abstract concepts, cultures that may seem far apart may have unexpected bridges between them that are worth finding and crossing.

About the Artist

I share my love of science and math through my art. Artistic leanings early in my life have merged with twenty years of experience in scientific research, a Ph.D. in biochemistry and an M.A. in mathematics, guiding my journey to reveal the beauty of the abstract realm of mathematical and scientific truth. Much of my research focused on the self-assembly of molecules, how the assembly process could be guided by symmetry, and how it could relate to computation. In this long journey I've seen amazing things that I can now find no other way to express except through fine art.