September 5 - October 19

Artist Statement:

Juliet Fiss

“A mathematician, like a painter or a poet, is a maker of patterns…I am interested in mathematics only as a creative art.” 

— G. H. Hardy, A Mathematician's Apology 

“Expressing oneself in the world and creativity are the same. It may not be possible to know who you are without somehow expressing it.” 

— Rick Rubin, The Creative Act: A Way of Being

Juliet Fiss explores the theme of self-reflection through the meditative process of hand-painting mathematical patterns. Fiss’s prime numbers paintings are mathematical visualizations of the prime factorization of the integers. Each square cell contains a single number, starting at one. For each of the two large paintings in Gnothi Seauton (Huge Notations), the numbers count up to 2700. The two paintings are mirrored; the first line in the light painting reads from left to right, while the first line in the dark painting reads from right to left. The numbers loop around, with alternate lines reading from left to right and then from right to left.

Filled-in squares represent prime numbers, each with a unique symbol, color, or texture. All squares greater than one contain compositions of symbols representing prime factors that multiply together to yield a composite number. For example, if a dot represents two and a dash represents three, then the sixth square contains a dot and a dash, representing “six equals two times three.” Each number can be appreciated close up as a unique composition. Viewed from a distance, natural patterns and symmetries become visually apparent in the prime and composite numbers.

The prime numbers, painted sequentially, are a mantra for Fiss’s meditative painting process. With the logical mind focused on precisely painting one mathematical symbol at a time, the creative mind is unlocked for intuitive experimentation, self-reflection, and discovery.

See more of Juliet’s work here.

The gallery space is open by appointment only, and for pop up hours as announced. Reach out, and follow our instagram for details! We would love to show you this gorgeous work.

Previous exhibits at Happy Time:

May - August 2024: “The Language of Trees” - William Cook - Linocuts and monotypes (website)

September - November 2024: “Shadows of Life” - Matthew DeFilippo - Oil paintings (website)

December 2024 - February 2025: “Social Media” - Multidisciplinary group show

March 2025 - April 2025: “For the Love of Film” - Arturo Solorio & Sammy Alvarez - photographers and associated mixed media sculpture (more from Arturo & Sammy)

May 2025 - June 2025: “Letters from Strangers Friends” - Anna Sullivan (website)

July 2025 - August 2025: “Urban Wildlife: A Shared Space” - Raili Jänese - Acrylic paintings (website)