Geometric Abstraction and Mathematical Explorations

Even though life may seem chaotic and out of control, I have always felt that a complex and organized system is concealed within our seemingly random world. Our minds search for meaning as we seek to control the uncontrollable. We impose rules to try to understand the delicate balance between random chaos and structured order. I can see everything as intricate patterns changing over time, even when things appear to be random and chaotic.

If we look closely, we can see structure in nature through seemingly diverse and random pieces. The smallest leaf on the largest tree has the same pattern of growth as every other leaf and even the tree itself. In a meadow, every blade of grass, every flower is different. Yet taken as a whole, they create a picture that is at once balanced and in harmony. From a distance, a patch of succulents might look perfectly geometric. Looking closer, we can see imperfections: a broken leaf here or a bit of soil there. Conversely, a kaleidoscope of butterflies in flight is a haze of unfocused color. Stilled, every butterfly has a unique, ordered pattern. Without human intervention, the world around us shows that order and chaos are woven together, but ever changing.

When I started creating art, I was drawn to the dimensionality of sculpture. Using traditional materials such as clay, stone, and metal, I took inspiration from forms found in nature and made sculptures that felt harmonious and in balance. Gradually, I became more inspired by random objects abandoned by others and envisioned ways to transform them into something new. At present, the core of my work revolves around using mathematics as a means to find beauty in order.

I am fascinated by the geometry in every aspect of life because it contains the order that I crave. A mathematical system with absolute rules creates balance. In this balance, I find beauty. I am drawn to the mandala as a spiritual symbol of the universe with geometry at its core. It grows in layers with each connecting to the whole; a closed system that spirals outward infinitely but exists only within itself.

Different art techniques spark my creative spirit and I continuously strive to learn new ways to create. I was drawn to cartonería, paper mache sculpture, because of its use of simple and readily available materials, bright colors, and elaborate designs that are traditional in this form of art. It was a joyful learning experience because cartonería allowed me to explore painting while still working in three dimensions. I had no formal training in painting, but decided to continue using paint to create detailed designs on found and discarded objects.

I used mathematical formulas and tools to create intricate drawings with precise angles and geometric forms, discovering that mandalas were an unconscious part of my designs. In mandalas, I find balance, harmony, and order within a complex, disordered world. I become caught up within its singular and perfectly symmetrical design. The process of designing these motifs using mathematical principles is mentally stimulating, while painting them allows me to enter into a calm meditative state.

One day, I wondered what might exist beyond the perfect systems of my mandalas. What would happen if two or more were to collide and throw my world out of balance? Would the harmonic dissonance turn order into chaos? What would I find if I let go of searching for unattainable perfection?

A breakthrough occurred when I painted three mandalas colliding, saturating them with color to create texture and depth. The sense of disorder and tension was more than I expected and surprisingly beautiful. Although I felt uneasy, I sensed that this new direction could lead to something exciting. The finished painting appears chaotic, yet esthetic balance and symmetry remain.

Using mathematics and geometric principles and consciously breaking the rules takes me outside my comfort zone. However, neither the geometry of the universe nor life is symmetrical. I had been searching for perfect order within chaos. Now I find freedom in discovering and exploring the beauty within the messiness of chaos itself.

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