Mary Rouncefield – Mathematical Curves

For most of my life, I have found the beauty of maths, geometry and patterns fascinating, and have recently been trying to link maths and art in a series of drawings, prints and paintings entitled “Mathematical Curves”. I have found that mathematical language can be used to describe beautiful curves but also that mathematical logic is mentally very constraining. Any mathematical equation, statement or formula must conform to the accepted conventions and logic of mathematics.

In an attempt to show this constraint, I have made a series of screen prints, each showing a mathematical curve together with a female figure echoing that curve. The figure, to a certain extent, is autobiographical, as her movement is constrained by the form of the curve and she cannot break away from it.

Prior to my second career in art, I taught statistics and mathematics at Chester University and Liverpool John Moores University. Over the years, I contributed to various school curriculum projects, and jointly wrote ‘Practical Statistics’ with Peter Holmes in 1989.
The series ‘Mathematical Curves’ were most recently exhibited at the Portico Library and Gallery in Manchester in 2015. I painted live at Upfest 2015, the Street Art festival held in Bristol and was there again in 2016 , 2017 and 2018.

Find Mary here: maryrouncefield.co.uk/mathematical-curves