Elizabeth Whiteley (born 1945) is an American fine artist and designer.
Early life and education Whiteley was born in Erie, Pennsylvania, US, in 1945. Whiteley earned a B.A. degree from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), and a M.S. in library science from Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). She received a B.F.A. from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC).Who's Who in America Art. Marquis Who's Who. Uniondale, New York. From 21st Edition (1995-1996) to date.
Career Whiteley concentrates on the connections between mathematics and art, with an emphasis on seeking geometric principles related to rectangles, triangles, and squares. They form the basis for her work with various genres in the visual arts. As part of a critic's residency essay, David Carrier wrote about her work "I understood better how her images were produced by seeing the grid she used to compose. This apparent way of restricting her composition actually gave her the freedom to choose where to set her patterns."Carrier, David. Essay. Maryland Art Place Critics in Residency Program. p. 7. October 1991.
Paintings, drawings, and sculpture Since 1988, she has used the geometric design elements of dynamic symmetryR. Fathauer, N. Selikoff, editors. 2019 Joint Mathematics Meetings. Exhibition of Mathematical Art. p.116. 2019. Tessellations Publishing, Phoenix AZ. as presented by Jay Hambidge,J. Hambidge, Dynamic Symmetry in Composition, Yale University Press, New Haven, 1923. for paintings,New American Paintings. No. 15. Open Studios Press, Wellesley Massachusetts. 1998 works on paper,Miller, Nicole. "Here and Now", The Washington Post. October 27, 2002. and sculpture.400 Wood Boxes, The Fine Art of Containment & Concealment. pp. 74-75. Lark Books, New York, 2004.Crowe, D., "The 2013 Joint Mathematics Meetings Exhibition of Mathematical Art". Journal of Mathematics and the Arts, Vol. 7, Issue 3. 2009 She also uses the geometric construction of the sacred cut, named by a Danish engineer, Tons Brunes.T. Brunes, The Secrets of Ancient Geometry and Its Use, RHODOS, Copenhagen, 1967. She is also influenced by the research on the sacred cut done by Kim WilliamsWilliams, Kim. Italian Pavements Patterns in Space. Anchorage Press, Houston, TX. 1997. and by Jay Kappraff.Kappraff, Jay. Connections, the Geometric Bridge Between Art and Science. McGraw-Hill. New York, NY. 1991. She applies the sacred cut line drawing as subject matter and a compositional structure for her ink drawings and metalpoint drawings.R. Fathauer, N. Selikoff, editors. 2020 Joint Mathematics Meetings. Exhibition of Mathematical Art. pp.118-119. 2020. Tessellations Publishing, Phoenix AZ.
She has been inspired by propositions in Euclid's Elements when creating sculptureBodner, L., "The 2009 Joint Mathematics Meetings Exhibition of Mathematical Art", Washington DC, Journal of Mathematics and the Arts, Vol. 3, Issue 2. 2009R. Fathauer, N. Selikoff, editors. 2013 Joint Mathematics Meetings. Exhibition of Mathematical Art. p.84. 2013. Tessellations Publishing, Phoenix AZ. and drawings.R. Fathauer, N. Selikoff, editors. 2018 Joint Mathematics Meetings. Exhibition of Mathematical Art. pp. 116-117. 2018. Tessellations Publishing, Phoenix AZ.
An attraction to pattern design led to independent study of the techniques and writings of British designers such as Lewis Foreman Day. She used his techniques for disguising the generator to create contemporary patterns.R. Fathauer, N. Selikoff, editors. 2014 Joint Mathematics Meetings. Exhibition of Mathematical Art. pp. 122-123. 2014. Tessellations Publishing, Phoenix AZ.R. Fathauer, N. Selikoff, editors. 2015 Joint Mathematics Meetings. Exhibition of Mathematical Art. pp.126-127. 2015. Tessellations Publishing, Phoenix AZ.
Artist's books Whiteley has explored various printed and handmade processes for creating artist's books. She learned about artists' books as works of art utilizing the form of the book when she was a photography student of Keith A. Smith at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. In 1989, she was the artist's book designer and co-illustrator for a shuffle book, Deck of Cards, by Peter H. Beaman. She oversaw the offset lithography production of the edition at Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, founded by Helen C. Frederick.Singer, Roseanne. "The Renaissance Woman", Takoma Voice. February 1989. Johanna Drucker included an analysis of the book in her textbook on artists' books.Drucker, J., The Century of Artists' Books. Granary Books, New York City, 1995. pp. 278-279. (Whiteley's surname is misspelled as Whitely)
Whiteley created Welcoming Beauty 1 in 2018. It is composed of hand painted folders containing elaborately folded papers based on the two-dimensional principles of dynamic symmetry transposed to three-dimensions. As the reader unfolds the papers, Whiteley's original writings about beauty as a spiritual theme are revealed.Brown University. Providence, RI. She expanded the content of Welcoming Beauty 1 and created a digital, or electronic, artist's book. Titled Welcoming Beauty 2, it contains her paintings and writings, as well as drawings based on the sacred cut. The e-book was published in 2019.
Metalpoint drawings Whiteley uses silverpoint as a drawing medium. The technique was widely used during the Italian Renaissance. She became fascinated by drawing with metal while an art student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her anatomy teacher, Paula Gerard, was a master of the technique of using a sterling silver stylus on a prepared ground. Whiteley draws with silver or gold styluses to represent botanical themes,American Society of Botanical Artists. Celebrating Silver. Bronx, NY. 2019.R. Fathauer, N. Selikoff, editors. 2017 Joint Mathematics Meetings. Exhibition of Mathematical Art. pp. 118-119. 2017. Tessellations Publishing, Phoenix AZ. geometric forms, frieze groups,Kattchee, Karl, The 2017 "Joint Mathematics Meetings Exhibition of Mathematical Art". Journal of Mathematics and the Arts, Vol. 12, Issue 1 2007. and the sacred cut. For an essay about her solo exhibition of silverpoint drawing over color washes at the McLean Center for the Arts, curator Nancy Sausser wrote "As an artist, Whiteley shows us her respect for the past, pays homage to it in these works, yet remains firmly rooted in the present as well."Sausser, Nancy. "Imaginary Botanicals: Drawings by Elizabeth Whiteley". Exhibition essay. McLean Project for the Arts. December 2011. Her work with metalpoint drawing over inkjet printed images is discussed in a metalpoint textbook by Susan Schwalb and Tom Mazzullo.Schwalb, S. and Mazzullo, T., Silverpoint and Metalpoint Drawing: A Complete Guide to the Medium. pp. 90-91. Routledge, New York and London, 2019. (Whiteley's surname is misspelled as Whitely)
Professional activities Along with Sheila Rotner and Zinnia, she was a founder and editor of EyeWash, a monthly tabloid of visual arts peer reviews for the Washington DC area. It was published from 1989 to 1993. In addition to editing, she contributed editorial page articles and reviews of exhibits. Issues and administrative records for EyeWash are available in the Archives of American Art.Archives of American Art. Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC.
Whiteley has published articles in professional journals and she has presented talks at conferences on mathematics and art, such as the annual international Joint Mathematics Meetings(JMM). She has presented papers on historical approaches to contemporary pattern design,Joint Mathematics Meetings 2014. Abstracts using basic geometric shapes to create surface patterns,Joint Mathematics Meetings 2015. Abstracts and frieze groups.Joint Mathematics Meetings 2017. Abstracts
From 2006 to 2011, she served on the editorial board of the Journal of Mathematics and the Arts (JMA) and was a peer reviewer. From 2010 to 2011 she served as an associate editor and co-editor for book and exhibition reviews.Journal of Mathematics and the Arts. Taylor & Francis, London. From 2006 to 2011, she served as an associate editor of Hyperseeing, the journal of the International Society of Art, Mathematics, and Architecture (ISAMA).Journal of the International Society of Art, Mathematics, and Architecture (ISAMA).
Exhibitions She has shown her artworks in juried and invitational fine art exhibits from regionalCapps, Kriston. "Remix: East-West Currents in Contemporary Art". Review. The Washington City Paper. August 25–31, 2006. to international levels.R. Fathauer, N. Selikoff, editors. 2016 Joint Mathematics Meetings. Exhibition of Mathematical Art. pp. 114-115. 2016. Tessellations Publishing, Phoenix AZ. In 1979, she won a museum purchase award from the Carnegie Museum of Art at the 70th Annual Exhibit of the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh.Flaherty, Mary Pat. "An Art Valentine", Associated Artists Opening 70th Annual Exhibit. Pittsburgh Press, February 8, 1980. In 1985, she had a solo exhibition of paintings and hand colored monoprints at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts as a member of the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh.May, Mike. "Admirable Nelson: Victory at PPA". Market Square, p. 8. April 4, 1984.
The Bridges Organization has included Whiteley's mathematical art in juried exhibitions at their international conferences. Her sculptures based on the dynamic symmetry of the square root of two were exhibited in 2006Bridges Organization. 2006 Bridges Exhibition of Mathematical Art. Institute for Education. University of London UK. and bas-relief sculptures with flexible planar surfaces were exhibited in 2012.Bridges Organization. Bridges Towson Art Exhibition Catalog. pp. 166-167. 2012. Tessellations Publishing, Phoenix, AZ.
Selected collections Whiteley's works on paper and metalpoint drawings are in museum collections such as the Carnegie Museum of Art,Carnegie Museum of Art. Pittsburgh, PA. the Erie Art Museum,Erie Art Museum. Erie, PA. and the Spencer Museum of Art.Spencer Museum of Art. Lawrence, KS.
Her artists' books are located in non-circulating special collections within the libraries of numerous museums. For her handmade artists' books, they include: the Art Gallery of Ontario;Art Gallery of Ontario. Toronto, ON. the Ryerson & Burnham Libraries of the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC);Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, IL. the Brooklyn Museum Libraries and ArchivesBrooklyn Museum of Art. New York, NY. of the Brooklyn Museum of Art; the Clark Art Institute;Clark Art Institute. Williamstown, MA the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston;Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Boston, MA. the National Gallery of Art,National Gallery of Art. Washington, DC. Washington, DC; the National Museum of Women in the Arts;National Museum of Women in the Arts. Washington, DC. and the Whitney Museum of American Art.Whitney Museum of American Art. New York, NY. For her artist's books created with an offset lithography process, the special collections include: the Thomas J. Watson LibraryThe Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, NY. of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA);Museum of Modern Art. New York, NY. and the National Art LibraryVictoria & Albert Museum. London, GB. of the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A).
Art schools that have collected her artists' books for the study and research purposes of their students include the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA),Maryland Institute College of Art. Baltimore, MD. the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD),Rhode Island School of Design. Providence, NJ. and the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).Savannah College of Art and Design. Savannah, GA.
Selected publications Whiteley, E. "Visually Transforming Square Root Rectangles," Symmetry: Culture and Science. vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 535–538 (1995). Whiteley, E. "Visual Transformation of Square Root Rectangles," Symmetry: Culture and Science. vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 639–640 (1995).