Frank A. Farris is a mathematical artist, working in digital art since the late '90s. His work has been seen in solo exhibitions at such places as Cornell University, Temple University, Pacific University, Pomona College, and Carleton College. The thing that makes Farris's art different is the way he uses continuous mathematics, especially the smooth waves of Fouier theory, to create patterns; this is quite a contrast from artists who draw on discrete geometry or fractals.

The Alchemist's Shelf (2017)

Alchemy is about turning one substance into another. On each of the balls, the alchemist has turned a spherical photograph from Farris's 2016 sabbatical in Minnesota into a pattern with polyhedral symmetry (icosahedral symmetry for the top left and right spheres, as well as the middle bottom one; cube symmetry for the others). Starting at the top left, we see the stairwell of Farris's home, which features a unique stained glass window by Hans Schepker. In the middle top, the pattern comes from the marvelous art deco Lakewood Chapel in Minneapolis. Next we see the hexagonal stained glass panes of St. John's Abbey in Collegeville, MN. At the bottom left, you can find Farris standing under a brilliantly colored tree at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Then, St. John's Abbey appears once more and we are back at Farris's home in San Jose, CA. The patterns use techniques of spherical harmonics, which produce naturally appealing shapes.