Gnothi Seauton is an ancient Greek aphorism meaning “know thyself.” Gnothi Seauton is also an anagram for “Huge Notations.” In the two mirrored paintings “Gnothi Seauton (Huge Notations) I & II, I explore the theme of self-reflection through the meditative process of hand-painting mathematical patterns.

My prime numbers paintings are mathematical visualizations of the prime factorization of the integers. Each square or arcing cell contains a single number, starting at one and counting up to 2700. The two paintings are mirrored; the first line in the light painting (I) reads from left to right, while the first line in the dark painting (II) reads from right to left. At the number 90, the numbers loop back again, with alternate lines reading from left to right and then from right to left in boustrophedon writing.

Filled-in squares represent prime numbers, each with a unique symbol or texture. All squares greater than one contain compositions of symbols representing prime factors that multiply together to yield a composite number. For example, a dot represents two. A dash represents three. The sixth square contains a dot and a dash, representing “six equals two times three.” The dark and light paintings contain the same symbols and structure, mirrored in each other. Viewed from a distance, natural patterns and symmetries in the prime and composite numbers become visually apparent.

Math is a language that we use to describe the natural world. By constructing my own mathematical language and painting detailed symbols by hand, I channel my reverence for nature and the beauty of mathematical patterns into my artwork. The prime numbers, painted sequentially, are a mantra for my meditative painting process. With the logical mind focused on precisely painting one mathematical symbol at a time, the creative mind is unlocked for intuitive experimentation, self-reflection, and discovery.