Why Wood?

To some, the vagaries of wood appearance may seem to defeat the purpose of rendering mathematical surfaces into artful creations. Wouldn't the consistency in appearance of metals, ceramics, or plastics be better suited to these abstract forms which are purely determined by mathematical equations?

Here is a sample of types of wood, mostly exotic, showing, first, how there is a great variety among wood types in their overall look and, second, how for any given type the grain and coloration is nearly continuous varying. For developing a good appreciation of the variety of wood types, visit web sites such as Sawdust Making. Choosing wood materials for rendering mathematical figures introduces a completely different and separate element to the final product. The result is a visually interesting contrast between the perfectly abstract and smooth mathematical shape and the subelements of wood pieces with their varying patterns. The overall effect is to introduce another full dimension to the finished work, a richly textured and warm dimension which cannot easily be achieved in plastic, ceramics, or metal. By using more than one type of wood, especially if there are stunning differences among the woods chosen, even another dimension is produced. The composite photograph below shows realizations of a sphere in the four materials I have discussed.

Wood has several characteristics that make it desirable for rendering mathematical figures, and these characteristics are the reasons it is used for so many products, both artistic and utilitarian. Wood has the properties of strength, light weight, and relative ease of working. Wood strength is more than sufficient to make stable and long-lasting mathematical figures. Wood weight, relative to metals, ceramics, and plastics, is less and is favorable for making even large figures. Wood can be easily worked in most cases; and experience with different wood types leads to the skills necessary to optimize the use of each type. Although the grain makeup and other physical characteristics of wood will often cause it to be inferior to metals or plastics for rendering with precision a mathematical figure, these can often be controlled. The advantages for the visual effect of the finished piece usually outweigh whatever deficiencies occur in the use of wood as opposed to other materials. Of course, if an artist or craftsman wishes to present a certain effect not achievable in wood, metals, glasses, or plastics may be the preferred choice.