Chris Kelly American, b. 1972

I believe that all art is about deconstructing something and then rebuilding it, both physically and conceptually. We observe, analyze, take apart, reimagine, and then use those various parts as building blocks for a new work of art. Such is my process, and with these artworks I am deconstructing the hidden geometry of nature and exploring how it connects humanity to the natural world. Specifically: the Golden Ratio, the Fibonacci sequence, and fractals.

This geometry can be seen in wildly different aspects of nature - from the curve of seashells, to hurricanes, and all the way to the shapes of galaxies. But the same mathematics apply to fields of study in the human realm, too - music, psychology, chemistry, biology, and many more... this geometry is integral to who we are, all of us, and how we understand the functioning of the world. It speaks to something elemental and primal that is undeniable once you know how to look for it and how to find it.

When I create a new artwork, I always think of it as a puzzle to be solved. I choose to have the mathematical relationships in some areas, but I often shift them so that shapes slide over and into each other - this creates a drama that has both tension and resolve, and the colors complement the solid structures of my creations. Math is as much a medium as my oil paints.

In my life, I always like to seek out and discover the way things are connected. These artworks are about the connection of our inner selves to something greater beyond ourselves, and they are reminders of the wild beauty that is all around us. We are a part of nature, and the mathematics that exist just behind the scenes are proof of this. If the chaotic world outside is the storm, then I think of each artwork as the eye of the storm. But we're not just looking at it, we're looking into it, through it, and finding safe passage.