Amor Infiniti
Elizabeth Gower

AC [Direct] II presents Amor Infiniti, an ongoing project of cutout paper plates by Australian artist Elizabeth Gower. Each “design” is unique, utilizing the six-point symmetry of the snowflake and the infinite variations possible within that geometric system.

Gower’s work has consistently involved the collection and collation of materials, images and data into systems of order. This collection, begun during the winter of 1997 in London, was the result of two incongruous stimuli. The first was the observation of stenciled snowflakes on storefront windows (the integration of aspects from consumer culture can be found throughout Gower’s work) and the second was the influence of A Sense of Order by E.H. Gombrich, which revealed the fact that after photographing 3000 snowflakes, none were found to be identical.

Gower began exploring the possibilities of a relatively simple system which would result in an infinite number of variations. Using elementary means (a compass, ruler, pencil and retractable blade), six-point symmetrical designs were cut into the flat circular base of paper plates. The ready-made disposable paper plate is an extension of her practice of incorporating discarded materials retrieved from the urban environment. To date Gower has amassed approximately two thousand variations of cutout geometric designs and patterns. None are repeated, which demonstrates Pythagoras’ dictum, “limit gives form to the limitless.” Like all collections, this one (and consequently this project) will never be complete.

 
 
Exhibition Images
 
About the Artist

Elizabeth Gower lives and works in Melbourne, Australia, teaches at the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne, and is currently completing a PhD from Monash University (Melbourne). She has exhibited internationally in numerous solo and group exhibitions. Her work has also been chosen for public commissions throughout Australia and is held in collections worldwide including The Australian National Gallery (Canberra) and The National Gallery of Victoria (Melbourne). She has received grants and awards from Cité Internationale des Arts (Paris), Arts Victoria (Melbourne), Alliance Française Art Fellowship, Georges Art Prize as well as multiple grants for residencies abroad from The Australia Council. She is currently Artist-in-residence in New York.

elizabethgower.com

Image courtesy the artist.