The
ancient Greeks are the first culture credited with recognizing the concept of
infinity, although they were not appreciative of its potentialities. To be
without limits was not a desirable state. It lacked the order and perfection
the Greeks valued. Arab and Persian cultures were more comfortable with
irrational numbers, and as a result, they made numerous advancements in
mathematics, particularly algebra, that have present day applications. However,
the concept of infinity has many functions and definitions spanning a variety
of fields of study including philosophy, theology, physics, astronomy,
mathematics and the visual arts.
This
panel discussion will bring together scholars from different disciplines to
discuss and understand the concept of infinity from a variety of frameworks.
The panel discussion will feature:
JESSICA
ANGEL: is an artist whose work is architectonic in nature. She takes over
interior spaces to explore the possibilities of visual illusion and
perspective. Her immersive environments are landscapes inspired by structures
found in computing, urban environments and anatomy. Her interdisciplinary
practice is predicated on the belief that complex patterns and information lie
at the core of everything we perceive.
JACLYN
AVIDON: is a member of the Board of Directors of the Amateur Astronomers
Association of New York, the Chair of the Association’s Education Committee,
and an instructor for the Association’s classes. Jaclyn graduated with honors
from Lafayette College with a Bachelor’s degree in Physics and a minor in
Mathematics. She spent over two years researching the subsurface conditions of
Jupiter’s icy moon Europa, including a summer spent at NASA’s Jet Propulsion
Laboratory.
GIANLUCA
BIANCHINO: is a multimedia artist living and working in Northern New Jersey.
Originally from Italy, Gianluca attended an Architectural magnet school in
Avellino before relocating to the US where he enrolled at New Jersey City
University to receive a BFA in painting. In 2011 he completed his studies with
an MFA from Montclair State University focused on sculpture/installation.
Gianluca has maintained a studio practice for over ten years in Northern New
Jersey, for nearly a decade in the thriving arts district of Newark NJ, and
currently in Jersey City. Bianchino exhibits regularly throughout the greater
New York area. Recent exhibits include The Painting Center, NY and at Chashama
Chelsea Project Space, NY and a solo exhibit at Index Art Center, Newark, NJ
which is reviewed in the April 2013 edition of Sculpture Magazine. Gianluca’s
current body of work is inspired by cosmology and physics.

MANFRED
MINIMAIR: is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics and
Computer Science and Director of the certificate program in Data Visualization
and Analysis at Seton Hall University. He is a computing scientist and applied
mathematician with a strong interest in symbolic computation, data science and
collaboration software and frequently works with other researchers, including
scientists in psychology and biology. He earned degrees from Johannes Kepler
University and North Carolina State University.
MEHMET
ALPER SAHINER: is currently the Chair of the Department of Physics at Seton
Hall University. He earned his Ph.D. at Rutgers University in 1995. Before
coming to Seton Hall University, he worked as a beamline scientist at
Brookhaven National Laboratory, and a senior scientist at Evans Analytical
Group, a network of distinguished laboratories. His current research interests
lie in the area of semi-conductor materials and solar cells. Dr. Sahiner is
also the recipient of many prestigious grants to support his research and
serves in the editorial board of (Elsevier) Material Science for Semiconductor
Processing Journal.
TRAVIS
LEROY SOUTHWORTH: lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. He received a BFA from the
University of Arizona, Tucson (2004) and an MFA from The School of the Art
Institute of Chicago (2007). He has shown at Vox Populi in Philadelphia, PA;
Bronx Museum of Art, New York; Real Art Ways, Hartford, CT; Evanston Art
Center, Evanston, IL; and Arthouse at the Jones Center, Austin, TX among many
other venues. In 2013 he completed a residency at the Large Hadron Collider in
Cern, Switzerland.
JEANNE
BRASILE: moderator of the panel, is currently the Director of the Walsh Gallery
and curator of “Getting to Infinity.” Philosophically, she sees the gallery as
a place for asking questions rather than a framework for imposing meaning. I am
most interested in developing exhibitions that challenge visitors to re-think
their perceptions about art, art-making and the role of the museum/gallery. She
frequently curates exhibitions that investigate topics in an inter-
disciplinary fashion.
The
panel discussion is free and open to the general public.
The
Walsh Gallery at Seton Hall University 400 S. Orange Avenue
South
Orange, NJ 07079
973-275-2033
walshgallery@shu.edu
Hours:
Monday through Friday, 10:30am to 4:30pm

Sponsors
This
program is made possible, in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on
the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for
the Arts and administered by the Essex County Division of Cultural and Historic
Affairs.
