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Artist Statement Wm. J. Lee

I use various equations to create fine art. In fact, I only use equations. There is no painting, sketching, or sculpting by manual or digital means involved. Nor do I use any image manipulation software to edit the geometry of the image. The initial color pallets that are applied to the various figures that I compute are also applied by computer algorithms. The only time I use any image manipulation software is during the final preparation for printing. At that point the colors will be enhanced, but not fundamentally altered, so that they will render well on the selected printer and media. I have chosen to create fine art from mathematics for several reasons.

1. I want to focus my attention, and that of the viewer, on the creative capability that is inherent in mathematics.
2. Using mathematics I am able to create extremely complex and beautiful objects that would otherwise be impossible to create from the whole cloth of conventional imagination. Using the computer and math I can create objects in any number of dimensions. Further, creating a lower dimensional image for viewing is intractable without a computer and robust ray tracing methods.
3. I want to use an eye catching image to lure people into the world of science and mathematics. The scientific and mathematical vision of the world is quite compelling and beautiful. However, for many people the view is more akin to vexing formalism, and language. Granted, at the highest levels math and science are not easy. However, everyone can find their level to engage and understand. To this end all of the mathematics I use has some practical application in science and engineering.

Currently I am working with fractals. They have remarkable capabilities for creating striking objects as well as scientific applications. Fractal math has been applied in such diverse areas as market analysis, cardiology, nuclear physics, geospatial analysis, and hydrology. In time I will expand to other areas of math and science.