Heptadecagon

So why did Jason send me a somewhat messy attempt at a heptadecagon?

Well, great question! Having always been a lover of numbers, math, constructible shapes, and the propensity of happenstance that occurs when combining all of these ingredients in their raw, uncut form. On top of that, I have an appreciation for the beauty inherent in the process of creation: all the drips, mistakes, and smudges.

What is a heptadecagon?

It is a 17-sided regular polygon (more here). Once thought of as impossible to construct, was discovered by mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss in 1796 at the age of 19.

Do you remember constructible shapes?

I certainly had forgotten about them until this year! At a high level, they are shapes that can be constructed from only a straight edge and compass. The greeks loved them. Fantastic stuff, when you are drawing them it feels like you are divining some ancient thing out of the ether.

What’s all this about happenstance now?

I’ve always been interested in the concept of happenstance (a word that is a portmanteau of happen and circumstance) and the interesting mistakes that can occur when a human is creating something with their hands. You can call them errors, sometimes I call them pentimento (the word is Italian for repentance, from the verb pentirsi, meaning to repent) the alterations in a painting, evidenced by traces of previous work, showing that the artist has changed his or her mind as to the composition during the process of painting. Any way you slice it, they act as reminders that some things are still made by peoples’ hands. And just in case you are wondering why my work includes so many revisions, edits, and redactions - I guess I find those reference points more interesting than the thoughtless, cool virtuosity that tends to follow in the footsteps of practiced expertise.

To make a long story short

Funny thing was I made these before my accident. And if things had gone differently, you wouldn't be reading this right now. Anyway, I’m glad we made it this far and glad I was able to send these out after all.

Wishing you a coruscating/prolific/visionary 2020,
Jason R. Gouliard

P.S. If you want to try and make your own heptadecagon you can follow the steps in this video.