David Senouf

Art, Mathematics & "Human Aided Design": a visual journey into the "Platonic Theory of Forms"

Mathematician, self-taught artist, learned drawing and painting techniques in the span of three years, from 2006-2009. Influenced by Italian Futurism, Cubism, Bauhaus (Albers, Kandinsky, Moholy-Nagy), geometric abstraction.

On "Human Aided Design" or computer look-alike design, in opposition to Computer Aided Design:

· Drawing technique: Entirely hand-drawn (free-handed), no computer involved, no instruments except for ruler for straight lines and compass for circles. Drawings available to display the technique (without paint).

· Methodology: free-handed drawing in the central region in such a way that all the curves look perfectly smooth (so much that they seem to be computer aided). These curves converge or meet in a very regular & unusual way.

· Painting Technique: Acrylics on cardboard, paper, and canvas. "aplat" technique, using removable tape for the straight lines.

· Paint Brushes: Square paint brushes, except for the very narrow regions where I use the thinnest (hair thick) paint brush size "000".

· Inspiration: Geometric Abstraction, Bauhaus (Albers, Kandinsky, especially Moholy-Nagy), as well as other forms of abstract art (Italian futurism, cubism, pop art, and abstract expressionism).

· Style: akin to graphic design, yet fully oriented towards classical fine arts.

· Color and Depth: juxtaposition of colors to create compatible or heterogeneous composition. Simple structures in 2D (à plat). Different regions and colors manage to create an impression of 3D. Several layers of acrylic paint are used for each region. Extensive use of metallic colors (copper, silver, gold), requiring the superposition of at least four additional layers to create a palpable density of the paint.

· Mathematical concepts: From my background as a Mathematician, I have integrated mathematical concepts from Geometry and Analysis (see for example Fondation Cartier). Such concepts as Tessellations (tilings), tangents, parallels, curve parallelism, orthogonal curves, asymptotes (curves joining at infinity), and from topology, connectedness, regions, closure, boundary.

· Easy: Visually easy to appreciate, lots of colors, decorative, futurist, and very detail oriented.

· Affordable: I make it available to the public at large in the form of poster reproductions, as well as paper (photographic and regular paper), canvas, and acrylic support.

· Support and type of paint: Acrylic on bristol / cardboard, small format 40x30 cm up to 120x85 cm.