Penrose Tiling #2 features a tessellation of rhombus-shaped units arranged in a non-periodic pattern—one that resists repetition yet maintains internal logic. On this large, square canvas, the work’s mathematical underpinning becomes a vehicle for perceptual play, as the viewer’s eye navigates shifting planes and chromatic transitions.
The square format reinforces the painting’s equilibrium, anchoring the visual complexity within a balanced frame. Gradations of color—cool blues, warm pinks, muted grays, and deep blacks—infuse the surface with a sense of movement and depth. These tonal shifts activate the work’s geometry, transforming static forms into a dynamic field of visual inquiry.
Penrose Tiling #2, like Penrose Tiling #1, fits within the broader tessellation framework and thus is an example of work that serves as a bridge between art and mathematics. In art, this historical expanse includes the intricate tilework of Islamic architecture, the optical experiments of M.C. Escher, and the perceptual investigations of Op Art pioneers like Victor Vasarely and Bridget Riley. In mathematics, this kind of non-periodic tiling was named after Roger Penrose who investigated these kinds of sets in the 1970s.
Finally, Penrose Tiling #2, like Penrose Tiling #1, is a distinctly contemporary interpretation of tessellations. In a world of screens and moving images, its painterly execution and conceptual rigor sets it apart. Although flat and static, the work has a kinetic element, although it is more meditative than Penrose Tiling #1 due to its size. Nontheless, it challenges viewers to consider how and what we see in a more subtle manner than the digital world. The artwork also suggests the viewer reconsider how we define pattern, perception, and painterly language.
See also Penrose Tiling #1 and Tessellations in Art and History
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Amy Ione
Title: Penrose Tiling #2
Date: 2015
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 48 inches square. Unframed.
Signed
Catalog Number: 30565