Infinite

2015, triptych, pen and ink on 300gsm Arches paper, each 50x50cm. Photographers: Artwork documentation by Simon Hewson; work in progress image by Emma Fielden; installation documentation by Fred Kroh (Gallery Funaki, Melbourne, Iota solo exhibition).

Infinite is a set of three almost identical text drawings that explore the notion of the infinite. They are abstracted starscapes. The work engages with the sense of awe and wonder that we experience when looking out into the endless abyss of the night sky, and our need for an understanding of our place in the universe.

Each of the three drawings is a handwritten decimal expression of one third, 0.33333...., an infinitely repeating decimal. In this way, the three thirds never quite resolve into a whole and singular one. The works begin as a mathematical exploration of infinity, moving through science, philosophy and religion.

The work takes its form from the Christian origin of the triptych. Having grown up Catholic and now having abandoned that faith, the work is a meditation on the infinite based upon my memories and my now antitheist perspective.  In this work, I am reflecting upon religion as one of the ways in which we try to come to terms with our place in the universe. The work references devotional religious acts, and in its laborious, repetitive making, it is itself a devotional act.

– Emma Fielden, 2015.