Bringing together pieces that incorporate definitionally poetic math into figurative compositions, Wonderland is an exploration of creative curiosity. Young figures interact with a variety of forms including Möbius strips, Ochiai knots, Klein bottles, and Mandelbrot sets.
Featuring selections from Fascinators, and Place & Process print series, the show is anchored by seven large impasto paintings that pull surfaces and knots into possible worlds. These surreal compositions bend scale and apply a wide range of mark-making from the most transparent wood grain wash to inch-thick impasto.
Trees (above) are in the form of Ochiai knots, which are a type of unknot or trivial knot. An unknot is a circle. It can be so complex that it is hard to recognize this, and in some instances, it must be made more complex before it can be “undone”—a lesson in problem-solving.
I am intrigued by the metaphorical magic of these shapes, surfaces, and forms in math that have poetic meaning in everyday language.
What: Ellen Heck: Wonderland
Where: Momentum Gallery, Asheville, NC
When: July 3 – September 6, 2025
Ambiance: Curiouser and curiouser!
