The Sun ATL presents a group exhibition, The Art of Math (through May 10). The concept for this exhibition is very straightforward, which turns out to be its weakness. While the exhibition concept hinges on pairing art with math, I did not find the works to express this concept coherently.
The most compelling example of integrating math with art can be found in the artworks of Ivan Moscovich. His series of harmonograph drawings elegantly pairs an exacting mathematical process with a visually stimulating medium of drawing - a testament to the exhibition's namesake. But, elsewhere, the pairing of artwork and concept felt disjointed.
Ato Ribeiro is represented with a room full of his wooden Kente quilts. In his works, Ribeiro uses the lexicon of Ghanaian Kente weaving to vivify traditions and interweave them with contemporary cultures. This strikes a stark contrast from the mathematical processes that created Moscovich's artworks.
Ultimately, the works in this exhibition seem to center geometric abstraction rather than the scintillating possibilities of math within art. Perhaps a reframing of this exhibition is in order because, as it stands now, the stated concept and chosen artworks feel misaligned.
Leia Genis is a trans artist and writer currently based in Atlanta. Her writing has been published in Hyperallergic, Frieze, Burnaway, Art Papers and Number: Inc. magazine. Genis is a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design and is also an avid cyclist with a competition history at the national level.
