Stefanus Rademeyer / Resonant Structures

In his first solo exhibition at Goodman Gallery Cape – titled Resonant Structures – Stefanus Rademeyer expands on his interdisciplinary approach to art-making; intersecting the seemingly unlikely fields of art and mathematics. Rademeyer has developed algorithms that describe the inherent form and intricacy of various natural structures, which are then translated into the visual realm using digital processes. The result is a series of objects and digital drawings that are boundlessly engaging and eloquently beautiful. The show brings together new work and pieces from Rademeyer’s successful solo show at Goodman Gallery Johannesburg last year.

In Resonant Structures, Rademeyer considers the language of mathematics, which, he explains “is also a symbolic system, a highly formalised language. Mathematical language is a logical and coherent system. It’s incredibly specific and is always used from an analytical perspective to solve rational problems or propose logical theorems. So, I thought, what if I apply those logical principles creatively?” The mathematical formulas that Rademeyer has been working with over the past three years fall into the category of “generative algorithms”. The word “generative” implies the notion of growth and mutation and within the exhibition, the artist explains, the viewer is offered visual clues that allude to an array of natural forms and systems within atomic structures, geology, crystallography, biology, botany, and even zoology.

In order to create a series of algorithmic drawings produced as digital prints, Rademeyer uses the process of coding within existing computer programmes. “Some of the structures that I draw consist of twenty million different shapes that come together in one structure, so it is physically impossible to do it manually,” he explains. “The prints are static images of this dynamic process. One can compare it to an image of a river flowing that is captured in a photograph. They’re residual of a process.” The resulting structures, the artist continues “almost have personalities, because they’re so complex you imbue them with certain qualities.”