Abstract: One of the challenges of doing mathematical art is that it seems to fit into a societal blind spot, the popular perception of both subjects appearing to have little intersection. How did that come about? More importantly how can understanding those origins help us make better mathematical art? In this talk I will discuss joint work with the late Roger Antonssen, applying the notion of Genuine Pretending (based on the work of Hans Georg Moeller) to mathematical art. I will present several examples of my own work to bring these theoretical considerations into practice, in particular how ideas from differential geometry can be both used to control digital machines to make art, and be explored themselves as the content of artwork.

About the speaker:  Edmund Harriss is a Mathematician, Artist, Teacher and Maker at the University of Arkansas. He holds a joint position between Mathematics and Art. His work looks at the fascinating spaces between these two subjects and the valuable ideas that can be transmitted between them. Whether that is in the use of Illustration (read broadly) to push forward mathematical research, or how the tools of mathematical thinking can be used in the service of Art, in its conception and creation. His work to bring mathematical ideas into physical space includes the non-euclidean geometry toy curvhedra, which also inspired a 12’ spherical sculpture outside the University of Arkansas Honors College. He has also created two colouring books revealing the visual structure of deep mathematical ideas and a counting book encouraging everyone to play with their mathematics from the moment they start learning it.

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