New Zealand artist Pat Nielsen uses principles of mathematics and geometry to create gripping Op Art compositions. Nielsen’s aversion for routine and structure in life urges her to seek rigor and order in her art, as a way to achieve a healthy equilibrium. Painted under extremely chaotic conditions, her works are built with astounding mathematical precision using sets of rules and protractors. The eye is dazzled and inebriated as it travels down the rabbit hole of infinite concentric squares, rows of undulating lines, spirals, helices, half moons, and dots. The repeating patterns create optical illusions of mobility that have a dizzying effect on the viewer. A piano player, former math tutor, and singer of barbershop ballads, which are based on Pythagoras’ overtone series, Nielsen sees mathematics and geometry as foundational laws of the universe. Drawing from music, architecture, and science, she reveals the mesmerizing harmony unifying Creation.

Originally from the UK, Nielsen studied geography and worked as a math teacher for over forty years. She has been painting for the past twenty years and has exhibited locally in Auckland, New Zealand, where she resides.